North Korea has notified Japan’s coast guard of its intention to launch a satellite between Wednesday and December 1, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported Tuesday, citing AFP.

Missile launch in North KoreaPhoto: STR / AFP / Profimedia

The launch, which defies Seoul’s warning to Pyongyang, would be a new attempt to launch a military satellite, similar to those that failed in May and August, Kyodo reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has asked his government to be ready for such a launch, Kyodo reports with reference to his office.

On Monday, South Korea’s military warned North Korea to “immediately” stop preparations to launch a spy satellite, warning Pyongyang that it would take “necessary measures” if necessary.

In early November, Seoul’s intelligence services said that Pyongyang was in the final stages of preparations for a third attempt.

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said on Sunday that the launch could take place as early as this week.

“We strongly recommend that North Korea (…) immediately suspend its current preparations to launch a military spy satellite,” Kang Hopil, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Monday.

“If North Korea launches a military intelligence satellite despite our warning, our military will take the necessary measures to guarantee the lives and safety of the population,” he added.

After a second failed attempt in August, Pyongyang announced it would launch a third in October, but that never happened.

According to Seoul, Pyongyang is supplying weapons to Moscow in exchange for Russian space technology designed to launch a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit.

Analysts believe there is significant technological overlap between space launch capabilities and the development of ballistic missiles, access to which Pyongyang is barred by multiple UN sanctions.

North Korea has carried out a record number of weapons tests this year, ignoring warnings from the US, South Korea and their allies.

Last week, it said it had successfully conducted ground tests of a “new type” of solid-propellant engine for its banned intermediate-range ballistic missiles (ICBMs), describing them as a crucial step in a “serious and volatile security environment”.