PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea's much-anticipated rocket launch ended quickly in failure early Friday, splintering into pieces over the Yellow Sea soon after takeoff.
North Korea acknowledged in an announcement broadcast on state TV that a satellite launched hours earlier from the west coast failed to enter into orbit. The U.S. and South Korea also declared the launch a failure.
The Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite was fired from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Tongchang-ri along the west coast at 7:38 a.m., but failed to reach orbit, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.
"Scientists, technicians and experts are now looking into the cause of the failure," KCNA said.
U.S. and South Korean officials said hours earlier that the rocket splintered into pieces about a minute after liftoff over the Yellow Sea, calling it a provocative failed test of missile technology.
In response to the launch, Washington announced it was suspending plans to contribute food aid to the North in exchange for a rollback of its nuclear programs.
The U.S., Japan, Britain and other nations had been urging North Korea to cancel a launch seen as a covert test of the rocket technology also used to send a long-range missile to strike the U.S.
North Korea refused to back down, saying the rocket would only carry a civilian satellite, touting it as a major technological achievement to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the country's founder, Kim Il Sung, on Sunday.
Still, the rocket failure is a major embarrassment for Pyongyang, which has invited dozens of international journalists to observe the rocket launch and other celebrations.
It has staked its pride on the satellite, seeing it as a show of strength amid persistent economic hardship while Kim Il Sung's young grandson, Kim Jong Un, solidifies power following the death of his father, longtime leader Kim Jong Il, four months ago.
The White House issued the following statement:
Despite the failure of its attempted missile launch, North Korea’s provocative action threatens regional security, violates international law and contravenes its own recent commitments. While this action is not surprising given North Korea’s pattern of aggressive behavior, any missile activity by North Korea is of concern to the international community. The United States remains vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations, and is fully committed to the security our allies in the region.
The President has been clear that he is prepared to engage constructively with North Korea. However, he has also insisted that North Korea live up to its own commitments, adhere to its international obligations and deal peacefully with its neighbors.
North Korea is only further isolating itself by engaging in provocative acts, and is wasting its money on weapons and propaganda displays while the North Korean people go hungry. North Korea's long-standing development of missiles and pursuit of nuclear weapons have not brought it security – and never will. North Korea will only show strength and find security by abiding by international law, living up to its obligations, and by working to feed its citizens, to educate its children, and to win the trust of its neighbors.
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Photos: Daily life in North Korea
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PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea's much-anticipated rocket launch ended quickly in failure early Friday, splintering into pieces over the Yellow Sea soon after takeoff.
North Korea acknowle...
PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea's much-anticipated rocket launch ended quickly in failure early Friday, splintering into pieces over the Yellow Sea soon after takeoff.
North Korea acknowle...
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North Korea has begun injecting fuel into a long-range rocket, which it plans to launch as soon as Thursday, despite growing protest from the international...
MANILA, Philippines — Several airlines will reroute flights over the Philippines to avoid a rocket North Korea is expected to launch between this and next...
TONGCHANG-RI, North Korea -- North Korean space officials have moved all three stages of a long-range rocket into position for a controversial launch, vowing to...
North Korea remains a serious military threat. It still possesses as many as a dozen nuclear warheads, proven short-range missiles, and a formidable conventional fighting force. It is as much an army with a country as vice-versa.
Of course the fat guy is celebrating. Experts at the CIA and DOD have been concerned about N. Korea's military spending for years, especially in relation to its missile program. It is estimated they spend 40% of their gross domestic product (GNP) on the military. Back in 2004, U.S. Forces Korea commander, General Leon LaPorte stated that N. Korea's military investments are primarily in their nuclear, biological, chemical and missile programs. Intelligence analysts suspect they want to gain an "asymetrical" advantage over the U.S. and South Korean forces. This massive warfare spending is to weaponize their weapons-grade materials...on missiles. Intelligence analysts also know that N. Korea has and will continue to have extensive dealings with Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Yemen, and Libya on ballistic missiles and possibly even nuclear warheads.
The REAL bad news is, according to CIA analysts, is that Chinese warhead designs, which were sold to Libya by Pakistani nuclear scientist Dr. A.Q. Khan, are suspected to be in the hands of North Korea as we speak. The CIA is concerned that North Korea, despite the recent launch failure, already have PROVEN missile designs from these other countries. Robert at Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) News www.osintdaily.blogspot.com
Robert_Morton: Of course the fat guy is celebrating. Experts at the
Everything you mentioned in the first paragraph is absolutely true, but even if N. Korea has the designs for "PROVEN" missle designs, their ability to build and successfully launch them is at present almost non-existant. Those scientists and generals responsible for the failure of this launch are their most experienced personnel in missile technology and will probably be executed for the failure of this internationally publicized launch. The second tier scientists, engineers, and generals can hardly be expected to have any greater success.
Rich_Cash: Everything you mentioned in the first paragraph is absolutely true,
Building a semi-working nuclear research device is only one of the steps needed to add up to a credible threat. That device must, then, be weaponized and miniaturized for actual use. The device that went off at Trinity site was not a useful weapon.
The final step is to devise a credible way to deliver the device to a target, one that has a reasonable chance of getting where it is supposed to go. During WWII, that delivery method was the B-29 program, a huge advance in aircraft design that cost more than the nuclear program itself, by a factor of 50%.
Without these three elements, a nation might as well have no nuclear program at all because it is a threat to nobody.
Air_Vice_Marshal_Park: Building a semi-working nuclear research device is only one of
I would think the embarrassment would come from the super ridiculous Communist/Disney World costumes they were as military uniforms. The Great Dear Lovely Wonderful new Leader looks like a panda with constipation and a bad, bad Elvis haircut.
Kidding aside: thousands starve to death every day and it goes on and on and on. I wish we had a magic nuke that would kill all the generals, their henchmen, and the Great Dear Wonderful Leader himself, and leave the population to cross borders and eat for a change.
I say eat the rich.
viciousvirago: I would think the embarrassment would come from the super
I find these gleeful comments in the media rather childish. Whenever a US launch failed, there was no place for comments like 'embarassing' or the like.
One should rather be happy N-Korea immediately owned up to the failure. That's progress in terms of being in touch with reality and cutting down on totalitarian lies.
CapSen: I find these gleeful comments in the media rather childish.
You weren't around during the Vanguard era, were you? The laugh-fest on the network news every time a Vanguard blew up or collapsed on the launch pad echoed for days. The films of Vanguards toppling like a house of cards are still available on YouTube and are spectacularly laughable.
Air_Vice_Marshal_Park: You weren't around during the Vanguard era, were you? The
In a few decades Muslims will be the majority in France and have control over the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world. But let's worry about North Korea instead.
Norma_Desmond: In a few decades Muslims will be the majority in
NKorea is supposedly one of the countries who have nuclear weapons.
I'm begining to question that.
Launching a satellite into space these days is as basic as texting- for a supposedly tech-advanced country who posesses nuclear capabilities.
Milosovich: NKorea is supposedly one of the countries who have nuclear
You aren't the only one who thinks that way. The first DPRK nuclear weapon test was clearly a fizzle; a fission reaction that does not produce a complete "ignition" and, basically, sputters like a wet firecracker and then stops. There is ample suspicion that the second test was little better, producing an explosion on the level of a large quantity of conventional explosive.
In neither case was a deliverable weapon expended. The test devices were too large and cumbersome to be delivered by an airplane or a rocket. You couldn't even roll one downhill toward an advancing enemy. The successful, real, weapons in the USSR and the US were the products of elaborate miniaturization that produced nukes that could fit in an artillery shell, for example.
Air_Vice_Marshal_Park: You aren't the only one who thinks that way. The
For all we know what being dessiminated by the media was designed to look like "failed launch". All these intrigues by the leaders of the world - we don't know what is real or what is a lie.
Nightangle: For all we know what being dessiminated by the media
"He dishonour his family"; say the Japanese.
"That's what happens when one chooses not to manufacture in China"; say the Cantonese.
"They should learn that threats are more powerful than actions"; say the Iranians...hmm I rather should say : "say Mr. Ahmadinejad.
-thusalwaystogenius
Thusalways_Togenius: "He dishonour his family"; say the Japanese. "That's what happens
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By JEAN H. LEE 04/12/12 11:53 PM ET