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.
The planned launch could be another attempt by North Korea to put a military spy satellite into orbit, as a North Korean rocket carrying a spy satellite crashed into the Yellow Sea shortly after liftoff on May 31 due to an engine failure. Pyongyang has vowed to make a second attempt "soon."
Last week, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers that the North could launch a reconnaissance satellite in late August or early September ahead of the 75th anniversary of the regime's founding on Sept. 9.
The launch plan came a day after South Korea and the United States began their annual combined military drills called the Ulchi Freedom Shield for an 11-day run.
North Korea has long denounced such drills as a rehearsal for invasion, though Seoul and Washington have said they are defensive in nature.
Last week, the leaders of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan agreed to work together more closely to counter the North's evolving nuclear and missile threats during the trilateral summit at the Camp David.
Source: Yonhap News Agency