SEOUL: North Korea plans to launch a ballistic missile between Feb. 7 and 14, a day earlier than originally scheduled, the South Korean defense ministry said in a text message.
North Korea informed the International Maritime Organization of the change, the Japanese foreign ministry said in an e-mailed statement Saturday. On Wednesday, the London-based IMO said North Korea will launch a long-range rocket to put the Kwangmyongsong (bright star) Earth observation satellite into orbit between Feb. 8 and 25, citing a letter from the government in Pyongyang.
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about North Korea’s planned missile test and both agreed it would contravene multiple UN Security Council resolutions “and represent another provocative and destabilizing action,” according to a White House statement. The two leaders emphasized the “importance of a strong and united international response to North Korea’s provocations.”
