Japan infuriates North Korea with spy satellites

JAPAN sent two spy satellites into orbit yesterday, infuriating heavily-armed neighbour North Korea, whose firing of a missile over Japan in 1998 prompted the move.

Pyongyang denounced the launch, which will give Tokyo its first independent opportunity to scrutinise North Korea from space, as a “hostile act” that could set off an arms race.

“The satellite launch deprived Japan of any justification and qualification to talk about the DPRK’s (North Korea’s) satellite launch,” said a foreign ministry statement carried on the state-run KCNA news agency.