S. Korea issues maritime safety warnings over NK satellite launch plan
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, inspects a flotilla of the East Sea Fleet of the Navy of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in North Korea, in this Aug. 21 photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Yonhap
South Korea on Tuesday issued a navigational warning for vessels over North Korea's planned launch of a satellite later this month.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries issued the warning at around 8:08 a.m., after the Japanese Coast Guard took the same step earlier in the day as Pyongyang has notified Tokyo of its intention to launch a satellite between Aug. 24 and Aug. 31.
North Korea mentioned three maritime zones that could be affected by the planned launch ― one off the Yellow Sea, the second in the East China Sea and the third zone east of the Philippines.
"South Korean ships do not frequently pass through these zones, though the government will enhance monitoring and provide related information in a swift manner to ensure safety at sea," a ministry official said.
Navigational warnings are directly disseminated to shipping via the World-Wide Navigational Warning System, or WWNWS, a global radio and satellite broadcast system in accordance with a resolution of the International Maritime Organization. (Yonhap)