As of early 2009, relationships between North Korea and South Korea were very tense; North Korea had been reported to have deployed missiles, Ended its former agreements with South Korea and threatened South Korea and the United States not to interfere with a satellite launch it had planned.
Fra begyndelsen af 2009 var forholdet mellem Nord og Sydkorea meget spændt; Nordkorea blev rapporteret at have udplaceret missiler, afsluttede sine tidligere aftaler med Sydkorea og truede Sydkorea og USA for ikke at blande sig i en satellitlancering, som den havde planlagt.