Pyongyang has said previously it completed work on its first spy satellite, but Tokyo says launch could be ballistic missile. North Korea on Monday has notified neighbouring Japan that it plans to launch a satellite in coming days, which may be an attempt to put Pyongyang’s first military spy satellite into orbit. The Japanese prime minister’s office urged North Korea to refrain from the launch and said it would work closely with allies. “We strongly urge North Korea to refrain from launching,” the prime minister’s office said on Twitter, adding it would cooperate “with relevant countries, such as the US and South Korea”. To launch a satellite into space, North Korea would have to use long-range missile technology banned under United Nations’ Security Council resolutions.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 29, 2023 03:14 UTC