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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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This nation is becoming paranoid day by day as we speak !
You people really think any country even China/Russia would even think of striking U.S soil.
This is diplomacy at its deepest and people here are relating this whole situation to a War flick.
U.S is way ahead of it's time in terms of military "defense"and "offense".
Period !
I find it interesting that this embarrassing launch failure occurs around the same time of the launch of the new 3 Stooges movie. I can just imagine one of the fat NorK generals running up to Kim Jung-un screaming...Hey Moe...! We're a victim of swircumstance!!
Footage of the launch!!!
http://i.imgur.com/gf8D2.gif
HAHA
Everthing has a price on it. Somebody will sell anything to anybody for a price, when you get the right combo then people die. It's like spinning a pop bottle, and waiting for it to stop praying it does not point to you because you don't want to kiss the spinner, but it will point to somebody.......
"Kyl said the Obama administration should "abandon its naive negotiations with North Korea............."
Same old, same old hypocrisy from the GOP. The GOP members of Congress said nothing while President G.W. Bush was involved in diplomacy with North Korea for eight years. They were also silent when the very same G.W. Bush removed North Korea from the list of terrorist nations. Of course, the same can be said about President G.W. Bush's dealings with Libya, Iran and Syria. They were no different that President Obama's dealings with the same countries, with the exception that President Obama has done more than President Bush.
I neglected to mention that President Bush also lifted key trade sanctions against North Korea, stating that his actions were a "step closer in the right direction" in the North's pledge to scrap its nuclear program." The GOP hypocrisy is astounding.
Yeah, yeah, GOP bad, Bush is the devil, etc. etc.
Can we move past the petty partisianship and look at these things based on their objective intellectual value? Do YOU think the administration should engage more deeply with North Korea?
wonder how many rocket scientists and their families are being shot right now in North Korea.
yup, we definitely need to try more fast and furious attempts to eliminate our Second Amendment here.
That was a big Firecracker.Now that is a party.Do it again......
@MSNBC: WTF am I reading? You people get paid to post this?
Well, we don't have to worry about any more launches, I'm sure supreme leader had all the designers and builders executed within minutes of splash down.
How can such a small, insignificant, worthless Asian nation scare everybody so bad? Because they have more balls than brains. Beware of this government, along with China and Russia, as they support No. Korea, even in the arms race. The US should boycott No. Korea, China and Russia. We should be done with all the niceties and be prepared to defend our own borders. Someday it will happen. This is just the beginning. But, boy am I glad that thing just crashed and burned. Yeah!
hambar,,I bet the chinese remember another small , worthless, insignificant country called JAPAN. That same lil ole piss any country invaded N Korea..China and most of Asia. China will keep selling chit to N Korea until they get too powerful. when the finally get a Nuclear Bomb and Missles that can carry them... Then China will invaded N Korea... Chinese dont trust anyone when it becomes a THREAT to China.. Besides that..Do you seriously think Americans will allow wal mart to have its supplie line cut off.. OHHHHH Helllllll NOOOO... What would we do without WALLY WORLD and all that cheap CHINESE made STUFF?????
Sichuan...Did you like the way N Korea asked Obama for tons of food...He offered high protein COOKIES and added that depends on their actions involving nuclear testing.. THINK ON THIS .... Romney says HE KNOWS HOW TO CREATE JOBS AND CUT SPENDING... OK Mr Romney .. Stand up and PROVE how much you love the american people and this country....Dont wait.... Americans need jobs now... come on..show congress HOW to put your SECRET PLANS into actions...UN EMPLOYED AMERICANS WILL LOVE YOU.
Maybe they will have to experiment with catapults or giant sling shots. They know nothing about rockets are are not going to be a nuclear threat for a while.
The U.S. can't ignore provocations like the attempted missile launch for our own security, regardless of whatever reactions come from South Korea, but at the same time shouldn't act unilaterally. I'm just an average American who taught English in South Korea for several years and while there are occasionally great people there individually, overall Vietnam treats us more like an ally than South Korea ever has. I was in a town with a joint U.S.-South Korean air base and immediately after 9/11 a curfew went out so the military couldn't hit the town or strip of nightclubs and bars after dark. This should seem like only common sense, but the bar owners reacted by blaming the U.S., ranting and raving in local papers and closing to everyone then finally when the curfew was eased to still remain closed to all but locals. South Korea continually pressures the U.S. for more aid money and money spent on security, defense and other projects, but it wants no U.S. input or oversight on who administers the aid, wants no American personnel involved and basically complains about having a U.S. military presence assisting their forces and about the U.S. military forces on the bases but doesn't want any of the bases closed because of the money they bring in. On a very limited basis, individual South Koreans can be among the nicest people on earth. As a nation, South Korea is among the most hypocritical that has ever existed.
That's geopolitics for you.
They also went apesh** when we tried to sell them beef.
Dunno what their problem is. Maybe they're just antsy 'cause of the neighbors.
send in Austin Powers!!! He will stop Dr Evil!!!
The US is again concerned about communists party members in congress, and now every time a non-neclear country attempts to use technology to come into the 21st century using satellites for weather information ect. the US thinks that they are want to send a bomb to the US. If the US has not developed a weapon that could shoot down one of these missles they are so concerned about, then what happen with the trillions of dollars we have spent on these projects gone. We have military neclear missle sites in almost every country in the world, the last count I heard was 900 military bases throughout the world with neclear war heads on every base. How much is enough. Then our solution to what we see is to starve the women and children of this country and we say we are a god fearing country, I don't think so. Now, North Korea's get to see democracy at work starving their people to death. Democracy in the US is reserved for the 1% that have the wealth to see that they get democracy and justice, because both cost money. In our democracy in the US 500,000 1%ers determine how the ohter 350 million citizens will be treated and their standard of living.
You have a point, Gary, but your facts are a little off. What's your source for the claim of 900 military bases around the world with nukes on every one of them?
The fact is that our money and our food did very little to help the poor people of North Korea anyway. Our money went to military programs like this rocket, and the food, after the endless number of middlemen took their cut, wouldn't even amount to a drop in a bucket. North Korea gets about 85% of their food from China, who temporarily cuts them off every time they act up.
Gary's facts are more than a "little off". Democracy isn't starving their people, THEIR COUNTRY is starving their people. The US has no responsibility to feed them. To what extent we do it (and we haven't for several years), we do it in return for concessions and out of the goodness of hearts (but mostly for concessions).
That's putting aside all the 1% drivel. Such a tiresome rant.
Let's see, they use old an old American Lincoln to cart Kim Jong (very f**king)il to his final resting place. Can't we sell them a couple of old rockets so Kim Jong Dung can save some face?
North Korean news agency reported
"It was supposed to do that".
We, the United States, should not be giving aid to ANY countries that are not our allies anyway. I'm so effing sick of it already!!
So North Korea couldn't keep it up?
So is only America allowed to have satellites in space? What century is this? America does not run the World, and it is preposterous to take such stances over other countries becoming technologically sufficient.
Hillary, we are still the super power in your little game of life...
Yes, I was so scared madam secretary..
What a repulsive blood soaked bitch...
Well. the president shoots unarmed men.
Why not starve women and children.
awesome!!! one of the few good things we do just ended because finally a nation is standing up to the bully on the block. you cant go through life dictating to people how to run their lives. Think about it. The more we dictate to the world the closer we get to one of these rockets actually being used against us. Worse WW3. The US does not mean freedom and democracy anymore it means big bully forcing opinions on everyone else. Just look at the Green movement. Go to hell Obama and take all the corporations and neocons with you. It's time to push back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have a point, thrill22. There are ways to stay out of the business of other countries while maintaining a defensive posture in the event that our worst fears are correct and that North Korea or Iran or some other radical nation wants to nuke us one day. I would even argue that by sticking our nose in their business is one of the reasons WHY they might want to nuke us. What's the status of that missile defense system that we've spent so much money on? How about the radiation detectors that we're supposed to have to check ships from a distance before they reach our harbors?
It wasn't as though our food and our money were helping the poor people of North Korea anyway. The cash went into military programs like this rocket and the food, after enough middlemen took their cut, was like a drop in a bucket.
Its good our government canceled food aid to Korea. We should not be giving aid to our enemies for any reason. If they can afford to build rockets, they can afford to feed their own people. The Koreans have their priorities, and we should have ours.
Let's starve a bunch of innocent people, that will show them........ signed the UN.
I agree.
If there is one way to make these leaders cave, it is to starve women and children.
As much as I despise North Korea, as they're our enemy, starving people seems like the low road, then again I passed three homeless people this morning in our own "country". Wish we would start taking care of our own problems then worrying about the rest of the world's problems, especially one's that aren't even allies.....
Shady, you despise an entire country that you have never been to and never met anyone from? Why, exactly?
Well, for one thing, they keep blackmailing us. And threatening our allies. And occasionally attacking our allies.
That aside, responsibility to prevent famine lies with North Korea first. If people are dying of starvation, that lies at the regime's feet, not the UN's, the US's, or anyone else. They could buy food if they wanted, but the spend money on a military that totally outstrips their economic might, as well as luxuries for their elite.
@Cappy - any enemy of the USA is in turn an enemy of mine - let's just end it at that.....