| February 2 | - North Korea
and the United States make contact through Track-II channels
(February 2-3, Berlin).
|
| February 2 | - Pyongyang
urges Washington to change “its hostile policy toward the
North” while shifting the responsibility for a nuclear North
Korea to the U.S. (in a KCNA commentary).
|
| February 2 | - North
Korea holds an enlarged joint meeting of the Central
Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and the
Korean People’s Army (KPA) Committee of the WPK (February
2-3).
|
| February 2 | - Beijing sends its position of opposing
North Korea’s moves regarding a long-range missile launch to
Pyongyang (Chinese chief delegate to the Six-Party Talks Wu
Dawei’s visit to Pyongyang).
|
| February 2 | -
North Korea notifies the International
Maritime Organization (IMO), the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) of its plan to launch a
satellite. * The North’s notification states that it
will launch “Kwangmyongsong at around 07:00-12:00 local time
between February 8 and February 25.
|
| February 2 | - Regarding
the North’s notification of a long-range missile launch
plan, the U.S. condemns that “North Korea’s ‘satellite’
launch plan is just another irresponsible provocation and a
clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions” (in a
regular briefing by a spokesperson for the U.S. Department
of State).
|
| February 2 |
- North Korea and Russia sign the
Agreement on the Transfer and Acceptance of Persons Who
Enter or Stay Illegally in Russia and North Korea and
Related Protocols of the Agreement (Moscow).
|
| February 3 |
- The ROK announces a government statement on the North’s
long-range missile launch plan (by Cho Tae-yong, First
Deputy Director of National Security at Cheongwadae).
- - ① North Korea has made notification of its long-range
missile launch plan on February 2. ② Since this is a
challenge against the international community, the North
Should withdraw its plan immediately. ③ Should Pyongyang
push ahead with a long-range missile launch, it will pay a
harsh price. ④ The ROK government will maintain firm
preparedness against any provocations from North Korea.
|
| February 3 | - Regarding the North’s notification of a
long-range missile launch plan, China expresses “grave
concern” and warns that Pyongyang “should act with prudence”
(in a regular briefing by a spokesperson for the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs).
|
| February
3 | - While considering North
Korea’s planned satellite launch as a long-range ballistic
missile launch, the Japanese Minister of Defense states that
Japan is tightening its security by putting its military on
alert such as through issuing
an order to shoot down a North Korean missile if it enters
Japanese airspace (in a Q&A session with reporters at
the Diet).
|
| February 3 |
- Russia expresses strong concern
about the North’s planned ballistic missile launch (in a
statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
|
| February 3 |
- U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urges North Korea to
withdraw its “satellite launch” plan (in a Q&A session
with reporters by a spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary
General).
|
| February 4 |
- The ROK President calls for the
United Nations to adopt tough sanctions on North Korea
regarding the North’s moves to launch a missile (in a
briefing by the Senior Secretary for Public Relations at
Cheongwadae).
|
| February 4 |
- The ROK military carries out
large-scale firing drills both along the East Sea and the
West Sea.
|
| February 4 |
- The EU urges North Korea to
return to the Six-Party Talks and engage in a reliable and
significant dialogue with the international community,
adding that any type of launch using ballistic missile
technology would be a clear violation of U.N. Security
Council resolutions (in a statement by the EEAS).
|
| February 4 |
- The ROK, the U.S., and Japan confirm their position on
cooperation in urging North Korea to withdraw its missile
launch plan (in a series of telephone conversations between
the chief delegates for the Six-Party Talks of Seoul and
Tokyo, and then of Washington and Tokyo).
|
| February 5 | - South
Korea and China exchange opinions on countermeasures against
North Korea’s 4th nuclear test and planned long-range
missile launch, the geopolitical situation on the Korean
Peninsula, and plans to develop Sino-South Korea relations
(in a telephone call between the heads of state of South
Korea and China).
- The ROK President △ Stresses that
the international community’s stern messages such as the
U.N. Security Council’s adoption of strong and effective
resolutions that can change North Korea should be put into
action swiftly since the North’s provocations threaten peace
not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in Northeast Asia
and the world, and △ Requests cooperation from China, which
is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and has
considerable leverage on the North
|
| February 5 | - The ROK,
the U.S., and Japan share information about the North’s
long-range missile launch and discuss joint response
measures (in a video conference between defense
authorities).
|
| February 6 |
- North Korea notifies
international organizations including the IMO that it has
changed the planned missile launch window to February
7-14.
|
| February 6 | - The U.S. urges North Korea to restrain
itself from firing a long-range missile and confirms that if
the North pushes ahead with the missile launch, Washington
is ready to protect its ally South Korea (in a statement by
the U.S. Pacific Command).
|
| February 7 | -
North Korea fires a long-range missile from
the Tongchang-ri launch site at 09:30. * North
Korea announces in its special report that “The
‘Kwangmyongsong-4’ satellite successfully lifted off and
later entered the target orbit.”
|
| February 7 | - The ROK and
the U.S. discuss cooperation plans on the North’s nuclear
test and missile launch issues (in an emergency telephone
call between the chief delegates for the Six-Party
Talks).
|
| February 7 |
- The U.S. announces a statement
condemning the North’s missile launch.
|
| February 7 | - The
ROK releases a government statement on North Korea’s
long-range missile launch.
- The government statement
strongly criticizes North Korea’s long-range missile launch
and stresses that South Korea will not only exert every
effort to ensure that strong sanctions against the North
will be adopted at the U.N. Security Council but also
continue to pressure the North so that it cannot but
change.
|
| February 7 |
- The ROK Minister of National Defense
holds an emergency meeting with the commander of the
ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and the U.S. ambassador to
South Korea.
|
| February 7 |
- The ROK and the U.S. announce a
joint statement on the deployment of THAAD to the U.S.
Forces Korea.
- Seoul and Washington decide to
officially begin talks on the feasibility of the deployment
of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to
the U.S. Forces Korea at the level of the ROK-U.S.
alliance.
|
| February 7 |
- The ROK and the U.S. discuss
cooperation plans on responding to the North’s missile
launch (in a video conference between the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commander of the ROK-U.S.
Combined Forces Command).
|
| February 7 | - U.N.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urges North Korea to stop its
provocative acts and fulfill its obligations as a member of
the international community (in a statement by a
spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary General).
|
| February 7 |
- Beijing expresses regret over Pyongyang’s missile launch
(in a Q&A session with reporters by a spokesperson for
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
|
| February 7 | - The ROK
military holds an emergency meeting of operational
commanders of the whole army to respond to the North’s
long-range missile launch.
|
| February 7 | - China summons
South and North Korean ambassadors and sends its position on
△ The ROK-U.S.’s official discussion on THAAD and △ North
Korea’s long-range missile launch, respectively.
|
| February 8 |
- The U.N. Security Council adopts a statement strongly
condemning North Korea’s rocket launch.
|
| February 8 | - A
North Korean patrol boat crosses the Northern Limit Line
(NLL) in the West Sea and retreats after the South Korean
Navy fires warning shots.
|
| February 8 | - North Korea
holds a joint army-civilian meeting in Pyongyang to
celebrate the successful missile launch.
|
| February 9 | - The
ROK, the U.S., and Japan confirm their position that they
will enact strong sanctions and take measures to pressure
the North at the bilateral and multilateral levels in
addition to the U.N. Security Council’s sanctions on North
Korea regarding the North’s 4th nuclear test and long-range
missile launch (in series of bilateral phone calls between
the heads of state of South Korea and the U.S., and then of
South Korea and Japan).
|
| February 10 | - The National
Assembly adopts a resolution condemning North Korea’s
long-range missile launch.
|
| February 10 | - The ROK
announces a government statement on the complete shutdown of
the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC) (by the Unification
Minister).
- △ It is impossible to set back North
Korea’s nuclear and missile development plan with existing
methods. △ The government’s efforts to maintain the GIC have
been abused to advance the North’s nuclear and missile
technology. △ The government has decided on the complete
shutdown of the GIC in order to block the money that flows
into the GIC from going to the North’s nuclear and missile
development and prevent South Korean companies from being
sacrificed.
|
| February 10 |
- North Korea’s Committee for the
Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland issues a
statement.
- △ Close the GIC and declare the industrial
park a military-controlled area, △ Deport all South Koreans
staying at the GIC, △ Freeze all assets of South Korean
companies and related agencies, △ Cut off military
communication lines between the two Koreas and close off
communication channels at the truce village of Panmunjeom,
and △ Withdraw all of the North Korean workers from the
GIC.
|
| February 11 | - All of the 280 South Koreans who were
staying at the GIC return to the South safe and sound.
|
| February 11 | - The ROK, the U.S., and Japan hold a
meeting of the chairs of the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding
the North’s missile launch and agree to strengthen the
sharing of information about the North’s nuclear and missile
threats.
|
| February 12 |
- The ROK announces the government’s
position on the shutdown of the GIC and measures to support
South Korean companies operating in the GIC (GIC
companies).
- (The Government’s Position) △ Consider
the personal safety of South Korean citizens as the top
priority, △ Express strong regret over the North’s
misbehavior and stress that North Korea is to blame for all
the consequences, △ Issue a stern warning that the North
should not damage the property of South Koreans, and △ Do
its best to provide swift support to the GIC companies at
the government level.
- (Support Measures) △ Delay
principal and interest payments for businesses that took out
loans, △ Begin the process of paying insurance benefits from
the Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Fund, △ Swiftly
support emergency management stabilization funds and request
commercial banks to cooperate in lowering interest rates and
extending debt maturity, △ Offer a grace period for taxes
and utility bills, and △ Provide the GIC companies with the
funds to retain their workforce.
|
| February 12 | - The U.S.
House of Representatives passes the North Korea Sanctions
Act (at a plenary session).
|
| February 12 | - Regarding
the Japanese government’s decision on sanctions on North
Korea (February 10) in response to “the North’s long-range
missile” launch, North Korea’s Special Investigation
Committee, in a statement, threatens that “It will suspend
its investigation activities on the North’s abduction of
Japanese citizens and take strong follow-up measures such as
dissolving the Special Investigation Committee.”
|
| February 13 |
- The U.S. Forces Korea deploys more Patriot missiles in
South Korea in preparation for the North’s missile
threat.
|
| February 13 |
- The ROK and the U.S. conduct a joint
defense drill against ballistic missiles in preparation for
the North’s threat.
|
| February
13 | - North Korea, in a KCNA
commentary, argues that sanctions against North Korea are
not effective, urging the U.S. to withdraw “its hostile
policy toward the DPRK.”
|
| February 14 | - The ROK
military raises “INFOCON,” an alert against the North’s
cyber terrorism, to Level 3.
|
| February 15 | -
Won Yoo-chul, the floor leader of the
ruling Saenuri Party, in his speech as the leader of a
negotiation group, calls for a nuclear-armed South Korea
at the plenary session of the National Assembly. *
“South Korea should consider its own survival strategy
including responding with ‘peaceful nuclear weapons’ and
missiles for self-defense.”
|
| February 15 | - Regarding
the complete shutdown of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex,
China says, “We hope that related countries will take
measures to ease tensions (created by the North’s nuclear
test and satellite launch)” (in a regular briefing by a
spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
|
| February 15 | -
The ROK government questions the North’s
U.N. membership at a U.N. public meeting. * △ South
Korea’s U.N. Ambassador Oh Joon argues that “When it joined
the U.N., North Korea pledged to comply with the obligations
of the U.N. Charter as a new member. However, the DPRK has
breached these obligations, leading South Korea to call into
question the North’s qualification as a member of the United
Nations” (in a U.N. open discussion on the U.N. Charter’s
principles and goals on February 15). △ South Korea’s Deputy
U.N. Ambassador Hahn Choong-hee maintains that “The DPRK has
disregarded the authority of the U.N. and persistently
violated all Security Council resolutions on the DPRK. This
is an insult to the U.N. Charter. South Korea cannot but
question the North’s qualification as a member of the U.N.
(in a meeting of the Special Committee on the Charter of the
U.N. on February 16).
|
| February 16 | - President
Park Geun-hye addresses the National Assembly on state
affairs.
- The President stresses that the government
will employ tougher and more effective measures to create an
environment in which the North clearly realizes that nuclear
development does not offer a path to survival but will
merely hasten the regime’s collapse, and therefore has no
choice but to change of its own volition.
|
| February 16 |
- Regarding President Park’s speech to the National
Assembly, the U.S. expresses its support for the ROK
President’s principle-based and strong approach toward North
Korea (in a commentary by a spokesperson for the Bureau of
East Asian and Pacific Affairs).
|
| February 16 | - The Commerce
Minister of the Chinese Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade expresses opposition to the THAAD issue (in the 7th
Strategic Dialogue between vice foreign ministers of South
Korea and China).
|
| February
17 | - Four U.S. Air Force F-22
Raptor stealth fighters land in South Korea (at Osan Air
Base).
|
| February 17 |
-
Kim Jong-un awards party and state
commendations to and takes a commemorative photo with
those who contributed to the launch of
Kwangmyongsong-4. * Kim Jong-un “points out that
North Korea should focus on launching more working
satellites of Juche Korea faster and more splendidly in
order to open the path toward conquering the universe.”
|
| February 17 | - North Korea’s Central Committee of the
Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) and the WPK Central Military
Commission announce common slogans such as "Let the
whole nation join efforts to frustrate the reckless
anti-DPRK nuclear war moves by the warmongers of the U.S.
imperialists and the South Korean puppets.”
|
| February 17 | - China
calls on South Korea to withdraw its plan to deploy THAAD
(in a regular briefing by a spokesperson for the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs).
|
| February
18 | - The ROK and the U.S.
officially begin discussions on the deployment of THAAD to
the Korean Peninsula.
|
| February 18 | - U.S.
President Obama signs the North Korea Sanctions Act and the
Act goes into effect.
|
| February 19 | -
Japan enacts its own sanctions on North
Korea in the wake of the North’s nuclear test and
long-range missile launch (in an extraordinary cabinet
meeting presided over by the Prime Minister). * △
Ban the entry of all North Korean citizens and North
Korean-registered ships into Japan △ Ban remittances to
North Korea in principle, △ Ban the re-entry of foreign
engineers who are involved in nuclear and missile
development into Japan after visiting North Korea, △ Ban the
entry of all North Korean-registered ships including those
for humanitarian purposes and of third-country ships into
Japan after visiting ports in North Korea, △ Ban the entry
of the crew of the relevant ships into Japan, and △ Expand a
freeze on Pyongyang’s assets (one group and 10
individuals).
|
| February 19 |
- The Financial Action Task Force
(FATF) recommends member countries to pay special attention
to trade and business relations with North Korea including
North Korean companies and financial institutions (in a
statement by the FATF).
|
| February 19 | - North Korea
criticizes the ROK President by name regarding the ROK-U.S.
moves to deploy THAAD to the USFK (in a KCNA
commentary).
|
| February 20 |
- North Korea fires a number of
artillery shells from Jangsan Cape north of Baekryeong
Island.
|
| February 20 |
- Regarding the North Korea Sanctions
Act going into effect, North Korea denounces the Act as
“ridiculous,” arguing that “The North will hold up the
Byungjin line even higher and continue to move forward with
it” (in a statement by a spokesperson of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs).
|
| February
22 | - North Korea joins the
agreement on the rescue and return of astronauts and the
return of objects launched into outer space as well as the
convention on international liability for damage caused by
space objects.
|
| February
23 | - The Chinese ambassador to
South Korea, in a meeting with an interim leader of the
opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, warns that “One issue
(THAAD deployment) can destroy Sino-South Korea relations in
an instant.”
|
| February
23 | - Citing the moves to bring
down the social system in the DPRK through the “beheading
operation,” North Korea states, “The North will carry out
preemptive operation to beat back the enemy forces to the
last man if there is even the slightest sign of their
special operation forces and equipment,” threatening that
the North’s primary target is Cheongwadae and reactionary
ruling machines (in a statement by the KPA Supreme
Command).
|
| February 23 |
- North Korea argues that “The U.S.
and other Western countries interfere in the social and
political issues of sovereign countries under the excuse of
the protection of human rights. The U.S. and other Western
countries, which are the worst wastelands and the greatest
violators of human rights in the world, should focus on
minding their own business” (in a bill of indictment by the
Association for Human Rights Studies).
|
| February 23 | - The
U.S. and China achieve “significant progress” regarding the
U.N. Security Council resolutions on sanctions against North
Korea (in a meeting between Foreign Ministers).
|
| February 24 |
- Regarding the North’s threat to strike Cheongwadae, the
Blue House considers it “an unacceptable provocation,”
warning that “The North is to blame for all the consequences
caused by this” (in a briefing by a spokesperson for
Cheongwadae).
|
| February 24 |
- The ROK military announces its
position on the KPA Supreme Command’s statement.
- Regarding the North’s threat that it can launch a
preemptive strike at Cheongwadae in response to the ROK-U.S.
joint military exercises, the ROK military issues a stern
warning that “North Korea should immediately stop the
provocative acts which drive itself toward destruction. If
it carries out a provocation, South Korea will mete out
stern punishment.”
|
| February
24 | - The ROK and the U.S.
conduct their fifth Tabletop Exercise (TTX) (February 24-26,
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California).
|
| February 25 |
- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stresses that in order
to achieve the denuclearization of North Korea, related
countries should not give up pushing ahead with
denuclearization negotiations and the peace agreement
simultaneously (in a CSIS seminar).
|
| February 26 | - Seoul and
Washington reaffirm their position that “The
denuclearization of North Korea is the foremost issue, and
both countries will concentrate on imposing sanctions
against the North” (Assistant Secretary of State for East
Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel’s visit to
Seoul).
|
| February 28 |
- South Korea and China agree that
they have to make the North recognize that there is no exit
for nuclear development through the full implementation of
U.N. Security Council resolutions, thereby changing the
North’s thoughts and actions while sharing the view that
this is a significant turning point in addressing the North
Korean issues (in a meeting of the chief delegates for the
Six-Party Talks, Seoul).
|
| February 29 | - North Korea
denounces that it is a double standard to restrict the
North’s right to launch a satellite, criticizing the moves
to adopt a U.N. Security Council resolution on sanctions
against the North (in a KCNA commentary).
|
