South Korea closely monitors, Japan concerned

South Korea, Japan and the United States have reacted before and after North Korea launched a satellite into space on May 31.

A TV screen in Seoul, South Korea shows information about North Korea's missile and satellite tests on May 29. (Source: Yonhap)

On May 31, the South Korean military announced that North Korea had launched a projectile toward the South. The alarm bell rang in Seoul at around 6:32 a.m. on May 31 (4:32 a.m. Hanoi time) as the city government issued a warning and asked residents to be ready to evacuate.

According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the launch was carried out from the Dongchang village area on the west coast of North Korea at 6:29 a.m. on May 31 (4:29 a.m. Hanoi time) and the launch vehicle flew over the sea far west of South Korea's Baengnyeong Island. However, the launch did not affect the Seoul area.

The South Korean military said the North Korean launch vehicle disappeared from radar screens before reaching its intended landing site and likely exploded in mid-air.

South Korea is on high alert and is coordinating with the US to maintain readiness to deal with any situation. On the morning of May 31, the Office of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) regarding the incident.

Previously, North Korea informed South Korea, Japan and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) about its plan to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11, in order to better monitor US movements in the region.

For his part, speaking before the launch, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa said that North Korea's use of ballistic missiles to launch satellites has been and is "threatening the peace and security of Japan, regional security and the international community". Japan will continue to cooperate closely with the US and South Korea as well as other countries, including the UN Security Council's response to this move by Pyongyang.

Meanwhile, speaking shortly after North Korea announced its satellite launch plan, a US State Department spokesperson said: “Any launch by North Korea using ballistic missile technology would violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions. We call on North Korea to refrain from further unlawful activities and urge Pyongyang to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy.”

Earlier, immediately after receiving the notice from North Korea, the nuclear envoys of South Korea, the US and Japan held a phone call. They said that Pyongyang's actions seriously violated the UN Security Council resolution prohibiting North Korea from conducting any launches using ballistic missile technology, and urged the Northeast Asian country to exercise restraint and abandon this plan.

Observers say North Korea is trying to enhance its intelligence and reconnaissance surveillance capabilities as part of a major defense project at the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in early 2021.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/trieu-tien-phong-ve-tinh-khong-gian-han-quoc-theo-doi-sat-nhat-ban-quan-ngai-229101.html