Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
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North Korea’s state-run media quoted scientists saying Sunday they “are delighted at the news” of the launch.
Ignoring warnings from the part of Washington, North Korea on Sunday launched a rocket that is part of a program to develop intercontinental ballistic missile technologies, reports said.
The rocked launch has renewed worldwide condemnation just a month after it carried out a nuclear bomb test.
Spokesman Peter Cook confirmed that Pyongyang was able “to put a satellite or some space device” into orbit.
United States and South Korea will begin “in the coming days’ discussions on the implementation of future anti-missile battery, said Mr Cook”. The THAAD system fires anti-ballistic missiles created to hit enemy missiles mid-air.
THAAD is a land-based network of missile interceptor batteries.
Any deployment is likely to be strongly resisted by China which is known to be uneasy about anti-missile hardware so close to its borders.
The PM stressed the need for the global community to “make every effort to put the brakes on Pyongyang’s risky provocative acts” and “accelerate the process toward swift adoption of a strong resolution”. A defence official told the news agency that that the system could be in position within two weeks of any deployment order.
“Once… decisions are made, that (time frame) is possible”, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Beijing fears that in addition to serving as a deterrent to further missile launches, the system could be used for spying.
But George Lewis, an analyst at the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Cornell University, said the missile defense systems had ranges in the tens of kilometers, making them little use against Pyongyang’s rocket. Moreover, South Korea has reportedly recovered as much as 270 pieces of debris from the said rocket launch.
The flight path was similar to the 2012 launch vehicle, whose first-stage debris was recovered by South Korea off its western coast.
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In a 35-minute conversation with Obama, Abe reportedly told his USA counterpart that the launch Sunday of a “long-range ballistic missile” poses a direct and serious threat to Japan and the United States.
