According to Japanese media, North Korea might try to launch a third spy satellite as early as Wednesday at midnight.
Tokyo reported that Pyongyang has informed them of the launch’s nine-day timeframe, which ends on November 30 at 23:59 local time (14:59 GMT).
Japan and South Korea would cooperate to “strongly urge” the North to halt the launch, since they claim it would be in violation of UN resolutions.
This year, Pyongyang has attempted twice to launch a spy satellite into orbit.
According to the Japan Coast Guard, Pyongyang’s statement identified three marine zones that are anticipated to see the fallout from the satellite-carrying rocket’s debris.
Two of them are located west of the Korean Peninsula, and the other one is east of the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Chief Director of Operations Kang Ho-pil issued a warning, saying that if the launch goes on, Seoul will take “necessary measures”.
Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, is eager to get a spy satellite because it will help him keep an eye on potential threats and more precisely plan his own.
The UN Security Council, however, has outlawed Pyongyang’s satellite launches because it believes they serve as a cover for the North to test its missile technology.
Debris from the North’s maiden launch was recovered by South Korea, who declared the satellite to have “no military utility”. Pyongyang’s space agency declared it would try again in October after an unsuccessful second attempt in August, but it never followed through.
Following a summit with Mr. Kim in September, Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted that Moscow could assist Pyongyang in developing satellites, but it’s unclear exactly what was agreed.
South Korea declared earlier this month that it would launch its own spy satellite by the end of November. The US business SpaceX is scheduled to launch a rocket bearing the satellite.
According to reports, Seoul intends to put five spy satellites into orbit by 2025, with this one being the first.
