Seoul Says Concerned By Pyongyang's Threat To Abandon Advance Notice Of Satellite Launches

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th June, 2023) South Korea is concerned by Pyongyang's threat that it would stop notifying the International Maritime Organization (IMO) about its future satellite launches due to criticism voiced with regard to the issue, South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Koo Byoung-sam said on Monday.

On May 31, the Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO adopted a resolution condemning North Korea's missile launches as a serious threat to the safety of international shipping. On Sunday, North Korea responded with a statement, in which it threatened to stop informing the organization about the country's future launches.

"North Korea's attitude, which is drifting further and further away from international norms and common sense, is very disappointing," Koo was quoted as saying by South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The spokesman urged Pyongyang to return to the "right" track, adding that such threats would only alienate the international community from the country, the report said.

On May 27, North Korea reportedly informed the IMO of its plans to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11. On May 31, North Korea's state-run news agency reported the launch of the Malligyong-1 military reconnaissance satellite mounted on the Chollima-1 carrier rocket had failed.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the failed launch, arguing that any launch with the use of ballistic missiles technology contradicts the UN Security Council's resolutions.