Recently the acute military and political situation is prevailing on the Korean peninsula due to the illegal and provocative maneuvers of the U.S. and its followers to viciously infringe upon the security and the exercise of sovereign rights of our state for the launch and operation of the reconnaissance satellite.

The strategic assets of the U.S. have frequently appeared at south Korea’s ports only 500 to 600 km away from Pyongyang and on Nov. 22, the "Republic of Korea" abruptly announced suspension of some provisions of the September 19 North-South Military agreement, groundlessly pulling up the DPRK over its launch of a reconnaissance satellite. And since the afternoon of the day, they all went into the military confrontation racket, reminiscent of the eve of a war, in the area along the Military Demarcation Line.

An official concerned of the US Space Command recently hinted at a military attack on the DPRK’s reconnaissance satellite, saying that the US can decrease its enemy country’s outer space operation capabilities by employing diverse “reversible and irreversible methods” and the U.S. has perpetrated acts of encroaching upon the sovereignty and hostile acts of taking sanctions against the DPRK by rallying its followers such as Japan, the "Republic of Korea" and Australia, while unreasonably pulling up the DPRK over its exercise of just and legitimate sovereignty.

Furthermore, the whole course of the open meeting of the UNSC over the reconnaissance satellite launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, convened at the gangster-like demand of the US and its followers, clearly proves how weak, false and absurd are the unreasonable arguments of some UN member states denying the DPRK’s sovereign rights.

The DPRK’s satellite launch is an essential process in building up the country’s defence capability and an important step conducive to improving the security environment on the Korean peninsula as an occasion of bringing a new phase in the military activities of the armed forces of the DPRK to firmly defend its security.

The US should respect the sovereign decision of the DPRK to freely exercise the right to space development any UN member nations can enjoy, neither interfere in nor obstruct it.

Article 8 of the “Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies,” the main international outer space treaty, stipulates that any object launched into outer space definitely shall fall under the jurisdiction of the launcher state and the ownership of it never changes, no matter it remains in outer space or returned to the earth. Furthermore, reconnaissance satellite is not regarded as a space weapon by international law for its technical features aimed at observation.

Current situation clearly proves that the double-faced stand and behavior of the US whose deeds are quite different from its words are a vicious factor disturbing peace and stability in the region of the Korean peninsula along with double standards, the height of high-handed and arbitrary practices.

The DPRK will continue to make efforts to develop everything belonging to its sovereign rights and continue to exercise the sovereign rights, enjoyed by all the member states of the UN, fairly and free from any restriction in the future, too.

KDLA firmly believes that you, loving peace and justice, would pay due concern to the situation on the Korean peninsula and extend sincere support and solidarity to the Korean people in their struggle for safeguarding the sovereignty of the country and peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in the region.

Korean Democratic Lawyers' Association