North Korea successfully launched a satellite into space, its state-run TV said on Monday, an action immediately condemned by the United States as “destabilizing and provocative”.
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USA and South Korea will begin “in the coming days’ discussions on the implementation of future anti-missile battery, said Mr Cook”.
Sunday’s launch has drawn widespread condemnation from around the world as a cover for a ballistic missile test banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions.
The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting Sunday in response to the launch, saying after that it would “expeditiously” adopt a new resolution in response to what it called “dangerous and serious violations”.
But the North Korean rocket launch, on top of last month’s nuclear test, could be a “tipping point” for South Korea and win over parts of Seoul’s political establishment that remain wary of such a move, a US official said.
The members of the Security Council restated their intent to develop significant measures in a new Security Council resolution in response to the nuclear test conducted by the DPRK on January 6, 2016, in grave violation of the DPRK’s global obligations.
Beijing has in the past proved reluctant to support biting multilateral sanctions against North Korea, for fear of destabilizing a regime on China’s border.
USA military officials have said the sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system built by Lockheed Martin Corp and the associated AN/TPY-2 tracking radar built by Raytheon Co are needed in South Korea.
The Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite entered orbit nine minutes and 46 seconds after the liftoff, an operation “great leader Kim Jong Un personally ordered and directed”, the TV announcer said.
There had been speculation the North might use a much larger rocket this time after having completed work on an extended 67-metre gantry tower capable of handling a launch vehicle twice the size of the earlier 30-metre Unha-3 rocket.
“The United States remains fully committed to the security of our allies in the region and we will take all necessary steps to defend ourselves and our allies and respond to North Korean provocations”, he said.
The South’s defence ministry said the launch indicated the North now has long-range missiles with a 12,000km (7,500-mile) range, the Yonhap news agency reports.
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North Korea continues to pose a threat, Cook said.
