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Subscribe to RSSUS officials say an attempted rocket launch in North Korea ended in failure when the rocket broke up shortly after launch. NBC's Bob Windrem reports.
Updated at 10:50 a.m. ET: The United States has canceled a proposed food aid deal with North Korea following over its attempt to launch a long-range rocket taking a satellite into orbit.
Senior administration officials told NBC News the deal with Pyongyang is off after the rocket was fired. It failed shortly after launch and landed in the sea off the South Korea coast.
"We are not going forward with an agreement to provide them with any assistance," White House National Security Council spokesman Ben Rhodes told reporters traveling with President Barack Obama to Florida.
He added that the U.S. and its allies will "take additional steps" if there are more "provocative actions."
Earlier, the G-8 group of countries on Friday condemned North Korea, and a leading Republican said even a failed test would help North Korea develop "technology capable of delivering a nuclear weapon that can threaten American cities tomorrow."
A U.S. official told NBC News that the launch was the fourth time the North Koreans had tried to launch this kind of missile, saying it should serve as a "real wake-up call" for the country's new regime.
In a statement, foreign ministers of the G-8 -- made up of the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, the U.K., Germany, France and Italy -- raised the possibility of action by the United Nations.
"We, the G-8 Foreign Ministers, condemn the launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which is a violation of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1695, 1718, and 1874," the statement said.
Reuters graphic showing the rocket's path
"Sharing the view that the launch undermines regional peace and stability, we call on the DPRK to abstain from further launches using ballistic missile technology or other actions which aggravate the situation on the Korean Peninsula," it added.
It said they were "ready to consider, with others, taking measures responding to all activities of the DPRK that violate U.N. Security Council Resolutions."
They said they might also call for what it described an "appropriate response" by the U.N. Security Council.
How will North Korea deal with failure?
The foreign ministers urged North Korea to abandon "all its nuclear weapons and its existing nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner," end its uranium enrichment activities, and take "concrete and irreversible steps toward denuclearization."
A U.S. official told NBC News that the missile had failed shortly after launch, before the news was confirmed by North Korea itself.
"The North Korean missile failed shortly after launch," the official said. "Think about it: This is the fourth failure to launch this missile as it was designed, and should serve as a real wake-up call for the new government."
North Korea rocket breaks up after much-touted launch
"Their efforts to draw attention to the program certainly seem to have backfired in this case," the official added. "Everyone will be watching closely to see how the government handles this first real test."
U.S. Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl said in a statement that the missile launch was "yet another provocative action undertaken by the regime in Pyongyang."
"The rocket that the North Koreans attempted to launch employs technology that is relatively identical to that of a ballistic missile, including similar guidance and propulsion systems," he said. "Even a failed launch can provide useful information for North Korea's development of technology capable of delivering a nuclear weapon that can threaten American cities tomorrow."
He said the North Korean regime had "once again" demonstrated "complete disregard for international sanctions and its proclivity for worthless commitments."
Kyl said the Obama administration should "abandon its naive negotiations with North Korea (and Iran), and instead focus on fully funding missile defenses that can protect the United States from ballistic missile threats."
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that the official North Korean news agency, KCNA, confirmed the rocket had failed to enter orbit about four hours after the launch.
KCNA said that the scientists and engineers were working to find out the cause of failure.
In Japan, there was relief at the failure, but local media were asking why it took the government 40 minutes to confirm the launch to the Japanese public.
NBC's Andrea Mitchell talks to Rachel Maddow about what the recent developments mean in the broader context of America's relationship with North Korea.
Japan's prime minister Yoshihiko Noda urged Pyongyang to abide by all United Nations resolutions and demanded that it takes concrete steps in resolving the various outstanding issues including their nuclear and missile development, as well as addressing the highly charged issue of Japanese nationals abducted by North korean agents.
Japan currently has various sanctions in place against North Korea, among them a ban of all exports and imports and also restricting entry of all North Korean vessels.
Arata Yamamoto, NBC News producer in Tokyo, contributed to this report.
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The failer launch taught them a lesson on how to make the next one work, and don't think there won't be a Next One, it will happen. Sanctions? What good do they do. They get everything from China anyway, so sanctions are like United Nations resolutions "Stick-em where the sun don't shine"
U.S. Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl said in a statement that the missile launch was "yet another provocative action undertaken by the regime in Pyongyang."
"The rocket that the North Koreans attempted to launch employs technology that is relatively identical to that of a ballistic missile, including similar guidance and propulsion systems," he said.
How can something be relatively identical?
why would liberals ever ask to raise taxes when this country hands out free food to its soon to be enemies? Another socialist state and look at the living conditions liberals, LOOK ! and you wonder why conservatives know you are fools with your march towards socialism all because you blame and hate the rich. You libs really are ignorant, sorry, but how many countries does it take, how many hundreds of years of human history will you need until you see the light?
Instead of a Rocket program, North Korea should put their resources into Agriculture. Wow what a novel Idea...Sometimes I just amaze myself :)
If they can't feed their own people they need to initiate a birth control program.
You breed them, you feed them.
OK,,,cut off the food. Now there is a brilliant idea. This Administration is so F'ed up it is pathetic. Let's talk about Trayvon, let's talk about food for N Korea, let's talk about women being admitted to Augusta National, let's talk about Mitt's wife, let's talk about ANYTHING except the price of fuel, jobs, foreign policy, Afghanistan and our troops dying, the defecit, unemployment,,,,,just keep the rhetoric and emotional scare tactics going until Nov and then, when 4 more is a reality we will all be in deep doo doo.
As long as Kim doesn't miss any meals do you think he cares?
Wow, that makes a lot of sense. Cut off food to an already starving population instead of taking some kind of meaningful action. Way to go Obama.
What I don't understand is why we are giving all of these countries aid. Let them feed their own. This country is broke, and we are STILL giving food, money, etc. This country was great at one time. All other countries feared us. Not one of them would have dared pull something like this when we were a great nation. This country has become a cesspool and not too many countries respect us anymore. What a sad, sad predicament the U.S.A. is in.
Dont worry Debi, Obama is spending us to prosperity... lol. Remember the Oceans have receded..
the dictator of N Korea is the one that needs to be punished not the people. Why make them suffer by not sending food, you think the people that run N korea will go hungry? They don't give a rats ass
So true, they don't give a rats ass, that's why they decided to shoot the rocket anyways.
Was it a failure? What if the rocket had some type of chemical payload and it was detonated over an area where the the jet stream will flow to areas of South Korea. I am sure chemical sensors would be sounding by now. Just a thought.
Every time your local Animal control gases a stray dog or cat, North Koreans lose a possible meal. Complain to your local Animal control office about this injustice to North Koreans...
When well the U.S. wake up? Every time the U.S. holds back aid to these Koreans they comply, then go back to everything OK now that we got our aid lets build more rockets or what ever. The U.S. needs to stop supporting these people all together. When well we look back at all the times they said we well stop then turned right around and got their aid or support only to do what we told them not to do. Wake up U.S., Wake up. If they can build rockets,bombs,nuclear weapons then the Koreans should be able to grow and produce their own food help their country to build homes and all.
Why not take that food you were going to give those commie pieces of crap, and hand it out in OUR country to the poor and homeless. It's about time we think about our own first!
Little Kim Jong Un couldn't get it up.
Holding food from people is NOT a proper sanction. I don't care what else you do, holding food back from innocent civilians is just wrong.
If it was their food to begin with you would be correct Chuck, However...
@CCHUCK
Do you actually think it will go to the civilians? I don't have you looked at the military guys, they looked like their starving. Bet it goes to the military.
I disagree..the North Korean government has money for troops, missiles and nuc's but no money to feed their own people? BY not giving them the food..perhaps their own government will stop spending their money on weapons. And the world would be a safer place.
N.Korea does not give a damn about their people, if they did the people would not be hungry.
Wow I am finding out how far my tax dollars actually go!!!
So, how long do you think it will be before Obama resumes shipping our food to North Korea, if indeed it ever stopped.
send them some pink slim, not rice we need that here to feed the hungery people here.
All I can say is...IT'S ABOUT TIME WE BACKED UP OUR REACTIONS TO THEIR ACTIONS. Hopefully that idiot will take us seriously!! Hopefully we have enough balls to not give in and send the food anyway. No country ever takes us seriously because we never mean what we say we always give in.
It is a shame what the poor people of North Korea have to put up with from their ridiculousy insane government. But we can't be sending them food while their government wastes money on rockets that do not work and nuclear weaponry. The North Korean government must be made to understand that its behavior and attitude will not be tolerated further. No more talks until they act responsibly.
Put some real pressure on China for a change. They are Big Pals with that little bastard Kim Jong Un...
My husband and I were discussing yesterday exactly what you posted and we both agree with you.
So.......once again, the people suffer for the governments actions. Let's starve the people, then they will really hate the dictator. The US manipulates everyone or at least tries.
This comment and line of thinking is getting tiresome. The people are suffering b/c they allow that government to stay in power. No goverment could stay in power for half a century w/o the people of that country allowing it or at least capitulating to it. And what's with "let's starve the people"? The U.S. isn't starving the N. Koreans. They're doing that on their own. If you'll remember a number of American's laid down their lives to try and stop N. Korea from becoming communist. How is our fault their starving? B/c we won't send them free stuff? How does that make any sense whatsoever?
@The Judge
The civilians probably wouldn't even see that food, but the military would have. So, N.Korean has the money to build missle to send into space and the U.S. has the responsiblity to feed their citizens and their military. Sounds a little screwy to me.
Kim Jong and their million of soldiers will get all the food. Not the regular folks.
Don't you think its about time that we stop any and all negotiations with these liars, namely North Korea and Iran, and just realize that those governments are our enemies and start to do everything humanely possible to take down these tyrants? Mr. President, stop with the nice guy and get Leon P. to get the clandestine operations geared up and lets rock and roll. Better do it now as opposed to waiting and then having to deal with something much more serious....
The North Koreans would rather launch rockets than feed their people. Sadly, the same could be said about the USA. There are more hungry citizens in North Korea proportionately, of course, but that probably doesnt make the hungry American child feel better.
I see they didn't fire it over Japan again. Yep, they said this one was going to go into a polar orbit so they fired it South. Good idea! They really don't want to piss off the Japanese....There are some hard feelings there with past differences and the Koreans have lost them all!