S Korea Urges DPRK to Stop Preparations for Satellite Launch

21.11.2023 10:01

S Korea Urges DPRK to Stop Preparations for Satellite Launch
Photo: Korean Central News Agency

The South Korean military on Monday urged North Korea to immediately stop preparations for another reconnaissance satellite launch attempt, vowing to take "necessary measures" to protect the South Korean people if the call is ignored.

"[We] strongly warn North Korea to immediately stop the 'military reconnaissance satellite' launch, preparations of which are under way. If North Korea goes ahead with the military reconnaissance satellite launch despite our warning, our military will take necessary measures to protect the lives and safety of our people," the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Seoul is, in particular, considering a partial suspension of a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement in the event North Korea still attempts another launch, South Korean news agency reported. The agreement provides for establishing buffer and no-fly zones near the inter-Korean border to prohibit artillery firing, naval drills and surveillance to prevent possible conflicts between Seoul and Pyongyang.

On Sunday, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said that the North could launch the intelligence satellite before Seoul's launch of its domestically produced reconnaissance satellite scheduled for November 30.

North Korea made two unsuccessful attempts, in May and August, to orbit the military reconnaissance satellite. The US and South Korea believe Pyongyang plans to fix its rocket carrier engine's current defect with the help of Russia following North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia, and make another attempt to launch a satellite in late November, South Korean media reported.