South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo presided over an emergency meeting on Friday (February 5) in Seoul with military officials over North Korea’s planned missile launch.
Han said his army is capable of detecting the missile launch.
“Our Aegis destroyer has proved its capacity and readiness by firstly detecting North Korea’s missile launches three times in the past,” said Han at the meeting.
The North notified U.N. agencies late on Tuesday (February 2) of its plan to launch what it called an “earth observation satellite” some time between February 8 and 25, but Han said the launch might happen outside the notice window.
“The enemy might suddenly launch the missile even outside the noticed period, so I want you all to do your best to detect it,” Han said.
“If the North Korean missile or its debris fall on our territory, we will respond with decisive actions so the North can pay the price for what they have done,” he added.
North Korea also said in January it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb but this was met with scepticism by U.S. and South Korean officials and nuclear experts.
Pyongyang said it has a sovereign right to pursue a space programme by launching rockets, although the United States and other governments worry that such launches are missile tests in disguise.
North Korea announced the launch would happen morning time during the notice window, and gave the co-ordinates of the drop locations for the rocket boosters and the the payload cover.
Those locations are expected to be in the Yellow Sea off the Korean peninsula west coast and in the Pacific Ocean to the east of the Philippines, Pyongyang said.
North Korea last launched a long-range rocket in December 2012, sending an object it described as a communications satellite into orbit. (Reuters)