Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that North Korea's planned launch of an apparent spy satellite sometime between Thursday and Aug. 31 is a "serious issue and concerns the safety of the Japanese people."
The Japanese government revealed Tuesday it was notified of the launch window by North Korea, which would be its second attempt this year of launching a spy satellite. On May 31, a ballistic missile carrying a similar satellite crashed into the sea soon after liftoff.
"Launching a satellite using ballistic missile technology, even for the purpose of launching a satellite, is a violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions," Kishida said, according to the Japan Times. "This is a serious issue and concerns the safety of the Japanese people."
Kishida said Japan demanded North Korea cease its launch preparations, adding Tokyo was working with other nations, including the U.S. and South Korea, in monitoring the situation. North Korea has been provocative by conducting dozens of missile launches and tests since early last year.
The launch window might be a reaction to the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise involving the U.S. and South Korea, which began Monday and is expected to end Aug. 31. On Monday, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un watched a test firing of strategic cruise missiles from a navy ship on the Sea of Japan.
"I'm not going to get into specifics in terms of intelligence on what we may or may not be tracking," Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing Tuesday. "I will say that, as always, we will stand with our Japanese and our [South Korean] allies in the face of North Korea's continued provocations, to include their claimed space program.
"We're going to take all necessary measures to ensure that the security of our homeland and the defense of our allies continues, and we will continue working closely with Japan and [South Korea] to promote peace, security, and stability in the region."
Japan's Defense Ministry in June indefinitely extended an order issued in late April to destroy any North Korean ballistic missile, rocket, or debris that threatens Japanese territory, the Japan Times reported. Meanwhile, Japan's coast guard has urged vessels operating in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and an area east of the Philippines' Luzon Island to exercise caution during the launch window.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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