Taiwan urges North Korea to heed concern over satellite launch

ROC Central News Agency

2012/12/02 20:31:25

Taipei, Dec. 2 (CNA) Taiwan urged North Korea Sunday to take seriously the international community's concerns over its plan to launch a rocket carrying a satellite payload later this month.

Pyongyang should help maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the East Asia region, in line with related regulations under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement one day after North Korea announced its plan to launch the satellite.

Any escalation of tension will adversely affect security in the Asia-Pacific region, the ministry said, adding that Taiwan will continue to keep a close eye on North Korea's moves related to the launch.

North Korea announced a day earlier that the polar-orbiting earth observation satellite will blast off from the Sohae Space Center in the country's Cholsan County, North Phyongan Province, carried by an Unha-3 rocket, at some point between Dec. 10-22, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.

North Korean scientists and technicians have "analyzed the mistakes that were made during the previous April launch" -- which was a failure -- and have been working to improve the precision of the satellite and the carrier rocket, according to the report.

The U.N. Security Council resolution, passed in 2009, states that North Korea is restricted from conducting any nuclear tests or any launches using ballistic missile technology.

(By Elaine Hou)
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