The U.N. Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting Sunday at 11 a.m. EST on the North Korean launch.
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North Korea has launched a long-range rocket from its Tongchang-ri station carrying what it said was a satellite, in open defiance of United Nations sanctions barring it from using ballistic missile technology.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying the launch could not but provoke a “decisive protest”, adding Pyongyang had once again demonstrated a disregard for norms of worldwide law. South Korea, other neighbours and Washington denounced the launch as a missile test.
Japan had words on the situation too, with the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe immediately condemning the missile launch and telling reporters in a statement that “we absolutely can not allow this”.
DPRK’s top leader Kim Jong Un signed the order to launch the satellite on Saturday and the KCTV disclosed photos of his signature.
But if these numbers are true, this new missile is a major advance for North Korea.
“An ICBM warhead, unlike a satellite, needs to come down as well as go up”, said aerospace engineer John Schilling, who has closely followed the North’s missile programme.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the launch is “deeply deplorable” and in violation of Security Council resolutions “despite the united plea of the worldwide community against such an act”.
While infuriated by North Korea’s refusal to curb its nuclear ambitions, China’s overriding concern is avoiding a collapse of the regime in Pyongyang and the possibility of a US-allied unified Korea on its border.
The United States, Japan, and South Korea have already called for an emergency United Nations Security Council.
North Korea is believed to be working on miniaturising a nuclear warhead to mount on a missile, but many experts say it is some time away from perfecting such technology.
South Korea’s government says North Korea will make a special public announcement at noon Pyongyang time following Sunday’s rocket launch.
China “expressed regret” over North Korea’s rocket launch after Pyongyang said it successfully put a satellite into orbit.
“Initial observations, available on the publicly available website Space-Track.org, indicate these two objects – NORAD catalog identification numbers 41332 and 41333 – are at an inclination of 97.5 degrees”, said Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for U.S. Strategic Command. Countries including the US and South Korea have sought fresh sanctions since the nuclear test on January 6. On Sunday, the launch happened.
South Korea said that it would begin discussion on the United States on deploying an advanced missile-defene system to counteract North Korea’s growing weapons capabilities.
The sanctions of Resolution 1718 included an embargo against military and technological materials and luxury goods, and prevent the transfer of funds related to missiles, nuclear arms, and other weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
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The resolution called on states to deny any North Korean vessel entry to their ports or airfields if the vessel refused to be inspected.
