Pyongyang issues formal notification of plan to launch satellite – a
major breach of UN resolutions following last month’s nuclear test
North Korea has issued a formal notification of an imminent satellite rocket launch,
a further major breach of UN resolutions following a nuclear test last
month, leading the US to call for the imposition of additional
sanctions.
The International Maritime Organization said it had received a shipping warning from North Korea of its intention to launch an earth observation satellite between 8 and 25 February.
US defence officials and Japanese media had previously said North Korea was preparing for a rocket launch.
Although Pyongyang insists its space programme is purely scientific in nature, the international community views such launches as disguised ballistic missile tests.
UN resolutions forbid North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, and the UN imposed sanctions following the country’s previous rocket launch in December 2012.
If the notified launch goes ahead, it will be a particularly defiant slap in the face of the US, which has spent the past month seeking international support for tough sanctions on Pyongyang over its 6 January nuclear test.
The White House said any satellite launch by North Korea would be viewed by the international community as another destabilising provocation by that country.
“I feel confident in telling you that the international community would regard a step like that by the North Koreans as just another irresponsible provocation and a clear violation of their international obligations,” a spokesman said.
Daniel Russel, the assistant US secretary of state for Asia-Pacific affairs, said “the North is threatening to move in the wrong direction. It’s the wrong direction from the point of view of the international community.”
“North Korea is defying the UN security council, it’s defying its … neighbour China, it’s defying the international community to the detriment of regional peace and security, and to the detriment of North Korean people itself,” he said.
“This argues even more strongly for action by the UN security council and the international community to impose real consequences for the destabilising action that the DPRK has taken, is taking, and to raise the cost to the leaders through the imposition of tough additional sanctions.”
The International Maritime Organization said it had received a shipping warning from North Korea of its intention to launch an earth observation satellite between 8 and 25 February.
US defence officials and Japanese media had previously said North Korea was preparing for a rocket launch.
Although Pyongyang insists its space programme is purely scientific in nature, the international community views such launches as disguised ballistic missile tests.
UN resolutions forbid North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, and the UN imposed sanctions following the country’s previous rocket launch in December 2012.
If the notified launch goes ahead, it will be a particularly defiant slap in the face of the US, which has spent the past month seeking international support for tough sanctions on Pyongyang over its 6 January nuclear test.
The White House said any satellite launch by North Korea would be viewed by the international community as another destabilising provocation by that country.
“I feel confident in telling you that the international community would regard a step like that by the North Koreans as just another irresponsible provocation and a clear violation of their international obligations,” a spokesman said.
Daniel Russel, the assistant US secretary of state for Asia-Pacific affairs, said “the North is threatening to move in the wrong direction. It’s the wrong direction from the point of view of the international community.”
“North Korea is defying the UN security council, it’s defying its … neighbour China, it’s defying the international community to the detriment of regional peace and security, and to the detriment of North Korean people itself,” he said.
“This argues even more strongly for action by the UN security council and the international community to impose real consequences for the destabilising action that the DPRK has taken, is taking, and to raise the cost to the leaders through the imposition of tough additional sanctions.”
