E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSChina has offered a rare criticism of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, after the country fired a long-range rocket that has been described by U.S. officials as a weapons test. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
The object that North Korea sent into space on Wednesday appears to be “tumbling out of control” as it orbits the earth, U.S. officials told NBC News.
The officials said that it is indeed some kind of space vehicle, but they still haven’t been able to determine exactly what the satellite is supposed to do.
In a statement, the White House said the rocket launch was a highly provocative act that threatens regional security and violates U.N. resolutions.
The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday condemned the launch, calling it a "clear violation" of U.N. resolutions. A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he "deplores" the launch.
North Korea is banned from conducting missile and nuclear tests, under the terms of U.N. sanctions imposed after a series of nuclear weapons tests in 2006 and 2009.
Missile warning systems detected the launch at 7:49 p.m. ET Tuesday. North American Aerospace Defense Command officials said in a statement that the initial indications were that the first stage fell into the Yellow Sea and the second stage fell into the Philippine Sea.
North Korea said the launch was an attempt to place a satellite into a pole-to-pole orbit. Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency said that the rocket was fired from the Sohae Satellite Launch Center on the secretive country's west coast, and that the Kwangmyongsong weather satellite went into orbit as planned.
KCNA via Reuters
North Korean scientists work as a screen shows the Unha-3 (Milky Way 3) rocket being launched at the satellite control center in Cholsan county, North Pyongan province.
But U.S. officials say the launch was a thinly veiled attempt to test a three-stage ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead as far as the U.S. West Coast.
ANALYSIS: 'Spoiled child' North Korea snubs China
Russia added its voice to the condemnation of the launch and also called on other nations to refrain from further escalating tensions.
"The new rocket launch carried out by North Korea flaunts the opinion of the international community, including calls from the Russian side," it said.
China, North Korea's only major diplomatic ally, said officials had urged Pyongyang not to go ahead with the launch, and expressed regret that it had taken place.
Japan and South Korea voiced concern as well. "The Japanese government regards this launch as an act compromising the peace and stability of the region, including Japan," said Osamu Fujimura, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak convened an emergency meeting of his national security council.
North Korea has successfully launched a long-range rocket, defying a U.N. Security Council Resolution and warnings from the West. On the streets of the country's capital, there were celebrations at the announcement. But internationally, the launch has provoked widespread condemnation and threats of further sanctions. ITN's Angus Walker reports.
The liftoff came as a shock to many South Koreans because they thought it would not take place until after South Korea's presidential election on Dec. 19.
Only a day earlier, North Korea hinted that the launch time might have to be readjusted due to weather or a technical problem.
"It was a surprise in terms of the timing," Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst with the RAND think tank, told The Associated Press. "They had talked about postponing for a week. To recover so quickly from technical problems suggests they have gotten good at putting together a missile."
This was North Korea's fifth test launch of a long-range rocket or ballistic missile – and the second launch since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un came to power in the wake of his father’s death a year ago. Experts say none of the previous attempts was successful, although Pyongyang says otherwise.
The last rocket was launched in April but fell apart shortly after being fired.
One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told NBC News that Kim was under pressure to launch a success.
"He knows the stakes are high either way, and it is really what he does next that matters," the official said.
Jim Miklszewski is NBC News' chief Pentagon correspondent. Alan Boyle is NBC News' science editor. This report includes information from NBC News' Julie Yoo in Seoul and Arata Yamamoto in Tokyo, as well as Reuters and The Associated Press.
Ezra Klein reports the breaking news that North Korea has test-fired a long-range rocket in defiance of the international community.
More world stories from NBC News:
- Pope Benedict sends his first tweet
- ANALYSIS: 'Spoiled child' North Korea snubs key ally China with rocket test
- ANALYSIS: Egypt is rapidly approaching its own 'cliff'
- Nelson Mandela suffers recurrence of lung infection
- Banking giant HSBC to pay record $1.9 billion in money-laundering case
- Suspect in US envoy's killing in Libya arrested in Egypt
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
2012 baby 2012
UN sanctions and UN resolutions sure are effective.
Hey maybe it will fall on the UN...ha ha ha....would that just take the cake!!!!!! In session of course. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.
"But U.S. officials say the launch was a thinly veiled attempt to test a three-stage ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead as far as the West Coast." Previous paragraph talked about the missile being sent from the "secretive country's west coast." Doesn't NBC proof read their stories. Are you talking about North Korea's west coast (the antecedent) or America's west coast. Does anyone at NBC have common sense? They way the network was all in for Obama, I don't think so.
Wow. It's 6:43PM ET right now, which clearly means the psychic friends network is working with the government.
And we try to claim that these people have the capability of putting things that blow people up inside of things that travel long distances and accurately hit their intended target? They haven't even figured how mass distribution of electricty.
Tumbling out of control? What a surprise.
Tumbling out of control? ... You don't say. What a surprise.
Whether or not the satellite works doesn't matter. The more ways to get into space the better. I don't care what the US or other aggressive countries think about North Korea's rocket program, they didn't mind putting weapons on their missiles and continue to test weapons.
What do US missiles have to do with whether it's good for anyone for North Korea to have nuclear-tipped missiles? If you don't mind the destruction of South Korean or Japanese cities, where will you get your next LCD monitor when Seoul is destroyed?
Weather Satellite? I can see their weather anchors now. It's sunny today, nope dark, oh there's the moon! It might rain, Ooop, dark again. hehehehe.
Here is the messed up thing.......they don't need to be on the nose with there aim with this thing. On nuke goes up in orbit EMP will fry all everyones sattelites....good by gps good by comunication good by modern life as we know it. they don't need to hit us with a nuke to screw @!$%# up. they just need to get it in orbit.
I think if they want to test there long range missles. we should be able to test our anti missle systems...its a win win....and we get a good kick seeing the little fat bastard through a fit like his dad did. scrunchy face turning red as he stops the ground....no thats a funny image.
flout.
I'm sure that moron Obama will send a "stern letter" to N. Korea about this - that'll teach them.
So if the NK put a suicide pilot in the rocket then he could technically fly it and land it where he wants !!
It's official. The USA is also tumbling out of control.
Give these clowns enough time and they'll manage to nuke themselves.
Great! Fat Boy's big threat is to hit us with his space junk.
trust Government trust News Media trust 11SEP01 Fairy tales
Interesting how the US never objects when Israel repeatedly, year after year, violates UN resolutions.
It's probably not a satellite at all.......it's intended as a weapon........
NK shot a unicorn into space. Beloved leader reports that the unicorn is dancing circles in space, slowly working its prancing hooves down into the atmosphere.
O well back to the drawing board.
But remember at the start of America's rocket program, many never even made it into space.
In a completely unrelated note, the highly classified X-37B "mini-shuttle" that no one knows what it really does, went back into orbit on December 11th.
I think we should spank NK. Spank em till their flat............
So that's what it is....they shot a hamster into space and the little fellow is exercising in his wheel!
Wouldn't it be funny if the North Koreans launched a nuclear tipped missile on the West Coast of the U.S.? I wonder what Obama would do? Probably go on an apology tour or send Hillary on a fact finding mission. Or who knows --- maybe just play a round of golf ---- up wind of course.
Yep - that'd be HILARIOUS.
And pray tell, what would Mr Romney have done?