Trespass to Airspace: How to Deter North Korea from Its Space Ambitions?

• Author: Kelly Kuan Shang
• Position: Ph.D. candidate (Maastricht). J.D. (Hong Kong)
• Pages: 221-240

North Korea's Space Ambitions 221

VI JEAIL 1 (2013)

Kelly Kuan Shang

∗

In deterring North Korea from pursuing its space ambitions, the neighbouring

States may consider to advance a sovereignty argument that North Korea󼚩s

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     

     

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     

      

     

    

      

      

󼚨󼚩

Keywords

Satellite Launch, Air Sovereignty, NPT, Outer Space Treaty, Ballistic

Missile, Right of Innocent Passage.

Trespass to Airspace:

How to Deter North Korea

from Its Space Ambitions?

∗ Ph.D. candidate (Maastricht). J.D. (Hong Kong). The author wishes to thank Prof. Tony Carty and Prof. Yun Zhao

for their invaluable help in preparing this article, as well as Prof. Eric Yong-Joong Lee for his insightful comments

on earlier drafts. She can be contacted at: kelly.shang@maastrichtuniversity.nl /Address: P.O. Box 616, NL-6200

MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.

2013-05-27 󱹙󲻹 2:25:16

222 Kelly Shang

I. Introduction

On December 12, 2012, the Democratic Peoples󼚩 Republic of Korea (hereinafter

North Korea; 󼚬DPRK󼚭) stunned the world with its space ambitions by attempting to

launch an 󼚨Earth-observation󼚩 satellite.

1

Although the international community has

repeatedly condemned North Korea prior to the launch for breaching the United

Nations Security Council (󼚬UNSC󼚭) Resolutions 1718

2

and 1874,

3

North Korea󼚩s

determination still remained unaffected. As today󼚩s space technology can be easily

converted to manufacture ballistic missiles, it is a matter of concern that North

Korea󼚩s space activities would eventually become a threat to the world security in

the future.

The primary objective of this research is to suggest a possible solution in

effectively deterring North Korea from its growing space ambitions. This article

     

the overview of the present scenario by reviewing the history of North Korean

space launches and the challenges that such activities can bring to the international

security. Part three will examine the current international condemnations against

North Korea for breaching the UNSC Resolutions 1718 and 1874. Here, the author

will address that this UNSC argument cannot afford adequate deterrence to North

Korea󼚩s ambitions. Part four will suggest that a more effective solution for North

Korea󼚩s neighbouring countries is to advance a sovereignty argument that North

Korea󼚩s satellite launching vehicles have trespassed to their territorial airspace. This

part will also discuss a possible counter-argument of North Korea based on a 󼚬right

of innocent passage󼚭 over foreign airspace for its space activates because North

Korea is geographically disadvantaged from accessing the outer space without

trespassing the territorial airspace of other countries.

1 Sang-Hun Choe & D. Sanger, North Koreans Launch Rocket in Defiant Act, N.Y. TIMES, Dec. 12, 2012, available

at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/world/asia/north-korea-launches-rocket-defying-likely-sanctions.html (last

visited on Mar. 2, 2013).

2 S.C. Res. 1718, U.N. Doc. S/RES/1718 (Oct. 14, 2006), available at http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.

asp?symbol=S/RES/1718 (2006) (last visited on Mar. 2, 2013). For details, see Eric Yong Joong Lee, Legal Analysis

of the 2006 U.N. Security Council Resolutions against North Korea’s WMD Development, 31 FORDHAM J. INT’L L.

8-12 (2007).

3 S.C. Res. 1874, U.N. Doc. S/RES/1874 (Jun. 12, 2009). See also D. Joyner, Introductory Note to the United Nations

Security Council Resolution 1874, 48:5 I.L.M. 1174-1175 (2009).

2013-05-27 󱹙󲻹 2:25:16