North Korea's heralded long-range rocket test ended in failure on Friday, disintegrating in mid-air soon after blastoff and plunging into the sea in a major embarrassment for the reclusive state.
The defiant launch drew condemnation from world leaders who described it as a “provocative” act that threatened regional security, despite Pyongyang insisting it was intended to put a satellite into orbit for peaceful purposes.
Some four hours after the rocket exploded over the Yellow Sea, the North admitted the satellite had failed to enter orbit, and that “scientists, technicians and experts are now looking into the cause of the failure”.
The United States and its allies slammed the exercise as a disguised ballistic missile test that contravened U.N. resolutions triggered by Pyongyang's two nuclear tests.
“North Korea is only further isolating itself by engaging in provocative acts, and is wasting its money on weapons and propaganda displays while the North Korean people go hungry,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney. He said the launch “violates international law and contravenes its own recent commitments”, under which Pyongyang had agreed to suspend its nuclear and missile tests in return for U.S. food aid. United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the launch as “deplorable”, saying it “defies the firm and unanimous stance of the international community”.
South Korea's Defence Ministry said the rocket lifted off at 07:39 a.m. (2239 GMT Thursday) and flew for just over two minutes before it “splintered into two parts, probably due to a blast”, and then broke into smaller pieces.
The debris fell into the Yellow Sea off South Korea and its navy launched a salvage operation to retrieve the debris, despite warnings from Pyongyang last week not to attempt such an operation.
The South said it was keeping a close eye on the North “for further provocative acts such as missile tests and a nuclear test”.
The European Union joined governments in Japan and South Korea in condemning Friday's move as a provocation that undermined peace and security in the volatile Korean peninsula and the wider region.
The North's sole major ally, China, was more muted in its reaction, calling for restraint from all sides and saying it had not been given advance warning of the launch.
Keywords: North Korea rocket launch, Kwangmyongsong-3
Given,the back yards of some of the developed countries piling up with dangerous nuclear arsenals,there found to be no sense in making a hue and cry over the launch of the rocket by North Korea,which is nothing,but a stark revelation of their double standards.This however,doesn't mean that the penchant for having stock pile of nuclear arsenals by any country is good for the manking,for that would lead to distruction.So,it is in every developed coountry's interest to ensure a nuclear free world for the good of every nation.
US and its allies should not take solace that the rocket launch by
North Korea has failed. For a developing country like North Korea, it
was a good try. Perhaps it may be a success next time. In India too,
quite a few such missions have failed. US, which claims to be a super
power in the world, feels so insecure that it doesn't want North Korea
to launch long range rockets/missiles for fear that they may reach its
territories. It wants to have military access to each and every
country in the world, but doesn't want other countries to have access
to its territories; it is democracy (hegemony, in effect), US brand.
Lack of true belief in basic human values makes US to distrust other
countries and always keeps it busy scheming something or the other
against them.
"The U.S., Japan, Britain and other nations had been urging North Korea to cancel a launch seen as a covert test of the rocket technology also used to send a long-range missile to strike the U.S." So the problem is for the missile reaching U.S., not Japan or 'other nations'...
Every body is discussing the failure of the launch. But, i hope the inside story in North Korea , is the courageous step taken by the new President Mr Kin Jong Un. Didn't give any ears to the threat posed by his neighboring nations and UN, USA and UK. But later North Korea's Neighboring nations realised the truth behind South Korea's Launch , so it was only USA and UK was tensed because of the launch, for what reason ?
The rocket must have been made in China.It's as fake as they come.
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