SEOUL: North Korea said Tuesday that it would launch a spy satellite in June, claiming it was necessary to monitor the 鈥渄angerous鈥� military movements of the United States and its allies.
Criticizing US-South Korea joint military exercises, including the ongoing large-scale live-fire drills, a top North Korean military official confirmed that 鈥渕ilitary reconnaissance satellite No. 1鈥� would be launched next month.
The announcement came a day after Japan said it was informed by North Korea that a satellite launch could happen imminently, with Tokyo warning it would likely violate United Nations sanctions.
Satellite launch technology overlaps significantly with that used in ballistic missiles, which Pyongyang is explicitly prohibited from using under UN sanctions.
The official Korean Central News Agency cited Ri Pyong Chol, vice-chairman of the ruling party鈥檚 central military commission, saying the satellite was 鈥渋ndispensable to tracking, monitoring... and coping with in advance in real time the dangerous military acts of the US and its vassal forces.鈥�
Citing 鈥渞eckless鈥� acts by Washington and Seoul, Ri said North Korea felt 鈥渢he need to expand reconnaissance and information means and improve various defensive and offensive weapons.鈥�
The official also accused the United States of conducting 鈥渉ostile air espionage activities on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity,鈥� according to the KCNA dispatch.
Pyongyang, which typically does not give advanced warning of missile launches, has been known to inform international bodies of purportedly peaceful satellite launch plans.
It told Japan Monday it would launch a rocket between May 31 and June 11.
鈥淓ven if it鈥檚 described as a satellite, a launch using ballistic missile technology would be a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions鈥� and would threaten people鈥檚 safety, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.
In 2012 and 2016, Pyongyang tested ballistic missiles that it called satellite launches. Both flew over Japan鈥檚 southern Okinawa region.
鈥淣orth Korea is giving justification and legitimacy to the upcoming launch of a military reconnaissance satellite, by blaming the ongoing US-South Korea joint drills,鈥� Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP.
He said that although satellites and ballistic missiles differ in their missions, the technology was effectively identical.
鈥淚f North Korea launches a satellite, it will be a violation of UN security resolutions, as it bans all launches using ballistic missile technology.鈥�
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this month inspected the country鈥檚 first military spy satellite as it was prepared for launch, and gave the green light for its 鈥渇uture action plan.鈥�
In 2021, Kim had identified the development of such satellites as a key defense project for the North Korean military.
Japan鈥檚 defense ministry issued an order to shoot down any ballistic missile confirmed to be on course to fall into its territory.
South Korea鈥檚 foreign ministry condemned the launch plan, saying the 鈥渟o-called 鈥榮atellite launch鈥� is a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning all launches using ballistic missile technology.鈥�
South Korea and Japan have been working to mend long-frayed ties, including through greater cooperation on North Korea鈥檚 military threats.