( Image courtesy: Reuters)
With all eyes on Southeast Asia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or North Korea is all set to launch its spy satellite. The hermit nation has notified that the launch would take place between the 31st of May and the 11th of June, in response the Japanese Ministry of Defence has put all of its ballistic missile defence systems on alert.
The Nuclear nation of North Korea has claimed that they have completed their first military spy satellite and that Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea has approved the final preparations for the launch.
Table of Contents
The Satellite
( Image courtesy: The Guardian )
North Korea had previously conducted a series of missile launches and weapons tests. They had also tested their new solid-fuel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
According to North Korean State media, the nation’s premier Kim Jong Un conducted an inspection visit to a military satellite facility in North Korea earlier.
Analysts believe that the new military spy satellite is part of a larger network of surveillance programs aimed at improving North Korea’s military strength in the event of a war.
The Japanese Response
( Photo credits : The Economic Times)
The Prime Minister of Japan Mr. Fumio Kishida said to reporters that the launch of any missiles from the side of North Korea was a blatant rejection of United Nations Security Council Resolutions. He condemned the North Korean missile and Nuclear activity.
The Office of the Prime Minister of Japan commented on Twitter that they strongly urge North Korea to refrain from launching. They added that they would cooperate with South Korea, the United States and other allies and would ensure to collect and analyze all details possible on the launch.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense has clarified that it would shoot down any projectile that threatened its territory after North Korea Notified the Japanese Coast Guard of the launch.
The Japanese Authorities expect the North Korean projectile to fly over the southwest island chain just as it did in 2016. The Japanese military, in April, dispatched to the East China Sea a destroyer ship carrying interceptor missiles and missiles designed to strike targets close to the ground.
The North Korean Stand
( Image credits : Reuters )
The North Korean state media accused the United States, South Korea and Japan of having decided to share real-time data that they are opting towards sinister measures for tightening military cooperation.
The April Launch rumble
( Image credits : The BBC )
On 13th April 2024, North Korea successfully tested its first solid-fuel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. The missile launch caused widespread chaos in the Japanese city of Hokkaido where an emergency warning was issued that the missile could fall on that island.
The emergency broadcasting system of Japan – J-Alert on Thursday told millions of Hokkaido residents to take cover as the missile fired by North Korea would fall near the island. The evacuation warning was issued at around 8 am local time and was lifted soon enough saying that the warning was triggered mistakenly.
But later the Japanese authorities claimed that the warning system worked perfectly and that there was no mistake in operations.
The North Korean State Media KCNA suggested that the nation’s leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the launch of the rocket named Hwasong- 18 and that it would drastically improve North Korea’s counterattack abilities against the United States and its regional allies.
