Was the North Korean Rocket Launch a Success … Or Not?
According to the North Koreans, of course it was:
Changchun, China — Chosun (North Korea) Central No. 3 Broadcast claimed at 1 P.M. today that this morning’s launch successfully put a satellite into orbit.
A source from North Hamkyung Province said in a telephone interview with Daily NK, “At 1 this afternoon, the No. 3 Broadcast announced, ‘Kwangmyungsung-2, which is a declaration of the achievements of a strong and prosperous state to the whole world, entered its orbit successfully.”
The broadcast said that the time of the launch was 11 A.M.
According to the South Koreans and the U.S. – Epic Fail:
The rocket launched by nuclear-armed North Korea on Sunday appears to have fizzled in the Pacific Ocean, but positioned a defiant Kim Jong Il to make demands from an international community worried that it indicates the capacity to fire a long-range missile.
President Barack Obama and other national leaders immediately criticized the Korean leader for threatening peace and stability of nations “near and far.” The U.N. Security Council approved an emergency session for Sunday afternoon in New York, following a request from Japan just minutes after liftoff.
“North Korea broke the rules, once again, by testing a rocket that could be used for long-range missiles,” Obama said in Prague. “It creates instability in their region, around the world. This provocation underscores the need for action, not just this afternoon in the U.N. Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons.”
Pyongyang claims it launched an experimental communications satellite into orbit Sunday and that it’s transmitting data and patriotic songs. U.S. and South Korean officials claim the entire rocket, including whatever payload it was carrying, ended up in the ocean.
Read more from the Associated Press
