Japan and South Korea Criticize North Korea's Satellite Launch Plan

North Korea informed Japan today, Tuesday, that it will launch a satellite between August 24 and 31, in its second attempt of this kind this year, drawing criticism from Tokyo and Seoul, which stated that such actions are "extremely regrettable." North Korea notified the Japanese Coast Guard today that the satellite will fly over the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the Pacific Ocean, areas that Japan claims are outside its exclusive economic zone. This announcement came just a few days after the first standalone summit among the leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea, aimed at showing unity amid China's growing power and nuclear threats from North Korea. North Korea had launched a satellite on May 31, but it ended up falling into the sea. The Korean Central News Agency attributed the failure of the new rocket (Chollima-1), which carried the satellite, to engine instability and fuel system issues. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged North Korea to halt any planned launches, stating that his country is preparing the PAC-3 missile defense system and working to gather information. He told reporters, "Executing any launch would be extremely regrettable." South Korea's Ministry of Unification, responsible for inter-Korean affairs, called on North Korea to retract the planned launch, stating that it is "an illegal action" that violates United Nations sanctions prohibiting the country from using ballistic missile technology. The ministry said in a statement that the action "cannot be justified regardless of the justification presented by North Korea."