The Japanese Ministry of Defense is causing controversy because the North Korean military reconnaissance satellite’s debris fall warning zone, which was revealed by the Japanese Ministry of Defense on the 22nd of last month, was placed in the wrong spot.
The Sankei Shimbun reported on the 11th, citing the results of a Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis, that the fall warning zone on this map is located approximately 80 km south of the actual location.
An official from the Ministry of Defense explained, “It was not drawn strictly and there was no intention.”
According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the satellite that North Korea launched last month in the area of Dongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province was separated into several pieces, with the first piece of debris falling outside the predicted drop zone in the East China Sea, about 350 km west of the Korean Peninsula, and the second piece of debris southwest of Okinotori Island. It fell inside the pre-emptive drop zone in the Pacific Ocean, about 1,200 km away.
The Ministry of Defense released a map titled ‘Image Map’ of the two predicted drop zones near where the first debris fell. Compared to the map released by the Japan Coast Guard after receiving notification from North Korea with coordinates, the Ministry of Defense released a map with coordinates. It shifted 80km south.
When North Korea failed to launch a satellite last August, it was predicted to fall in the same sea area and missed by about 80km to the south.
Sankei added that even when China launched a missile targeting Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in August last year, the Ministry of Defense’s map showed a smaller overlap with Japan’s EEZ compared to the training waters notified in advance by China.
The media pointed out that if the map is drawn ambiguously, incorrect information could be spread to the public. If the drop point is disclosed in detail, the Self-Defense Force’s ability to detect missiles may become known to other countries, but there is no reason to indicate the drop zone or training area incorrectly because the coordinates of the drop zone or training area notified in advance are not military secrets.
Even in the case of the Ministry of Defense map released after China’s missile launch in August last year, it was included in the explanatory materials for the three security documents and the defense white paper decided at the Cabinet meeting at the end of last year.
Sankei criticized, “If ambiguous data becomes routine, there is a risk that trust in the Ministry of Defense’s information transmission will decrease, and it may benefit other countries that repeat military provocations.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.