North Korea notifies Japan of satellite launch plan between Nov 22 and Dec 1
North Korea fires unspecified ballistic missile off its east coast, 12th this year Japan will work with the United States, South Korea and others to "strongly urge" North Korea not to go ahead with the launch, Kishida said. North Korea had attempted to launch what it called spy satellites twice earlier this year but failed, and South Korean officials have said in recent days that it appeared set to try again soon.
The secretive country has notified Japan, as the coordinating authority for the International Maritime Organization for those waters, of its plans all three times. The launch would be the first since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare trip abroad in September and toured Russia's most modern space launch centre, where President Vladimir Putin promised to help Pyongyang build satellites.
North Korea's notice also follows its denouncement on Monday of the potential US sale of hundreds of missiles to Japan and South Korea, calling it a dangerous act that raises tension in the region and brings a new arms race. In that statement, carried by the KCNA news agency, the North's defence ministry said Pyongyang would step up measures to establish deterrence and respond to instability in the region, which it said was caused by the US and its allies.
South Korea's defence ministry did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment before business hours. North Korea has not made a formal announcement of the plan on official media.
Pyongyang has been seeking to place a military spy satellite into orbit, saying it plans a fleet of satellites to monitor moves by US and South Korean troops. North Korea has made multiple attempts to launch what it called "observation" satellites, of which two appeared to have
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