 |
| North Korean Rocket Launch (File Photo) |
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea and Japan on Wednesday echoed US warnings that North Korea would pay a heavy price if it pushes ahead with a planned rocket launch just weeks after conducting its fourth nuclear test.
Urging Pyongyang to drop its plans for a launch as early as next week, the government in Seoul said the move would be a serious breach of UN resolutions and a “direct challenge” to the international community.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned what he called a “serious provocation” and clear violation of Pyongyang’s international obligations.
The warnings came a day after the North announced a Feb. 8-25 window for the launch, ostensibly aimed at putting an Earth observation satellite into orbit.
UN resolutions forbid the North from any use of ballistic missile technology, and Tuesday’s announcement saw Pyongyang doubling down against an international community already struggling to come up with a united response to last month’s nuclear test.
“It’s a classic move,” said John Delury, an associate professor at Yonsei University in Seoul.
“While waiting for a full response for the nuclear test, you might as well sneak in a rocket launch. The North tends to do these things in pairs,” Delury said
The United States, which has been spearheading a diplomatic drive for harsher, more effective sanctions on Pyongyang, was quick to condemn the launch plan.
Read the full story at DefenseNews