South Korea urged North Korea on Friday to stop its move to fire what it suspects to be a missile, reiterating its firm position that any launch would violate a U.N. Security Council resolution.
“Since North Korea”s act is in violation of U.N. Resolution 1718, it should be halted,” foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-yong said in a statement. “If North Korea presses ahead with a launch, there will be Security Council-level consultation and countermeasures,” he said.
He said South Korea is in close talks with the U.S., Japan, China, and Russia to deal with Pyongyang”s move.
Yonhap news agency said the statement came in response to the confirmation by two global agencies on maritime and aviation safety that North Korea had notified them of its planned launch of what it claims is a satellite as part of a space program. But South Korea views it as a smokescreen for a long-range missile test.
In the meantime, Japan advised caution on Friday to any aircraft and vessels intending to pass through the two danger zones identified by North Korea. One of the areas comes within 130 kilometers of the coast of northeast Japan.
The launch is reportedly scheduled between April 4 and 8.
The first stage of the rocket is expected to fall within a strip extending around 250 km from east and west and 20 km from north and south in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), according to materials released by the International Maritime Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Japanese government.
