North Korea notifies UN agencies it will launch satellite between Feb. 8-25

/ Yonhap

North Korea has notified the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that it is planning to send a rocket carrying a satellite into space between Feb.8-25, increasing concerns that it is making preparations to further violate U.N. resolutions with the long-range rocket launch, according to various reports Wednesday.

The North on Tuesday sent a letter to the IMO, a U.N specialized agency, that its “Earth observation satellite” will be launched between 7 a.m. and noon Pyongyang time. In the letter, sent under the name of Jon Ki-chol, director-general of the North’s Maritime Administration, the North said that the launch of the “Earth observation satellite ‘Kwangmyongsong’ is pursuant to the national space development program."

The North also provided coordinates for areas where the rocket stages are expected to fall -- the first in the West Sea, the fairing in the East China Sea and the second stage in the Philippine Sea.

An earlier report by Japan's Kyodo News said that the International Telecommunications Union also received a similar notification from the North.

Various reports and satellite imagery has shown increased activities at the North’s Dongchang-ri site.

The United States warned of tough responses if Pyongyang goes ahead with the launch.

“This argues even more strongly for action by the U.N. Security Council and the international community to impose real consequences for the destabilizing action that the DPRK has taken,” Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel said in Washington.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said that a satellite launch would violate numerous Security Council resolutions because it would utilize banned ballistic missile technology.

“This latest announcement further underscores the need for the international community to send the North Koreans a swift, firm message that its disregard for U.N. Security Council resolutions will not be tolerated,” Kirby said.

The government here said that a close watch on North Korea is being maintained while necessary measures to cope with the situation.

The North’s latest move comes as top Chinese envoy Wu Dawei flew to Pyongyang Tuesday afternoon in a surprise visit, amid slowly moving discussions in the international community to impose sanctions on North Korea for the Jan. 6 nuclear test.