North Korea’s previous attempts to put a spy satellite into orbit in May and August failed, and Seoul, Tokyo and Washington have repeatedly warned Pyongyang against attempting another launch, which would violate the recommendations of recent UN resolutions.
Russia is also involved
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But the North has vowed to press ahead with its goal anyway, and this month Seoul’s spy agency warned that the new attempt was likely to be more successful, as Pyongyang appeared to have received technical advice from Russia in exchange for sending at least 10 shipments of weapons for Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
The Japan Coast Guard posted a notice on its website of a launch window between November 22 and December 1, and Seoul’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries quickly issued a navigation warning for shipping.
Japan wants cancellation of launch
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that he would ask for the launch to be canceled and would make every effort to prepare for contingencies.
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He added that any use of ballistic missile technology by Pyongyang would be a violation of UN resolutions and that Japan was coordinating its response with South Korea and the United States, its partners in a trilateral defense agreement.
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