The presidential office reportedly believes that it is not the time to lift the country’s readiness posture, although the window North Korea had set for launching its first military spy satellite expired on Sunday.

A senior official at the top office told Yonhap News on Sunday that the notice period has ended, but North Korea can launch long-range ballistic missiles at any time without notice.

North Korea notified the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on May 30 that it planned to launch a military reconnaissance satellite between 12 a.m. May 31 and 12 a.m. June 11.

The North launched what it called a space launch rocket on May 31, but it ended in failure. Pyongyang said that it may try the launch again without giving notice to the IMO, criticizing the United Nations agency for adopting a resolution condemning the North’s missile launches.

The presidential office has reportedly been closely watching North Korea's movement, under the judgment that the North may attempt a second launch during the notice period.

The high-ranking official said that South Korea and the United States are continuing their monitoring and surveillance activities, stressing that South Korea, the United States and Japan will seek to share North Korean missile warning data as planned.

[Photo : YONHAP News]