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February 7, 2016 - KOREAN PENINSULA - North Korea has claimed that it successfully deployed an earth observation satellite into orbit, after its “long-range missile test” on Sunday was widely criticized as provocative and in breach of UN resolutions.
The rocket took off at around 12:30am GMT, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which was tracking the flight path of the ballistic target. The US Strategic Command also detected and tracked the missile launch into space, Reuters reports.
“NORAD determined that at no time was the missile a threat to North America,” the Strategic Command's statement said.
Several hours after the launch, the North announced that it had succeeded in placing a“newly developed earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong-4” into orbit, KCNA reports.
The satellite was launched aboard a “carrier rocket Kwangmyongsong” that blasted off from the Sohae Space Center in Cholsan County. The agency said that the satellite entered its preset orbit nine minutes and 46 seconds after the lift-off at 9:09am Korean time.
The North says that it is “legitimately exercising the right to use space for independent and peaceful purposes” and plans to send more satellites into space.
@YonhapNews Not Gud News for Regional Scenarios United Nations is a Lame Duck Organisation— Anirudha Singh (@anirudha_amethi) February 7, 2016
The first stage of the rocket had been calculated to fall into the West Sea, according to North Korea's prior warning to the UN, and according to Seoul’s military no damage from rocket “debris or other parts” was reported on South Korean territory.
WATCH: North Korea launches long-range rocket believed to be front for missile test.
While the rocket seems to have successfully separated its first and second stage boosters with debris falling in somewhat designated areas, the launch is still considered a failure by Seoul, according to Yonhap. According to the agency the rocket “burned up” southwest of Jeju, the largest island off the south coast of the Korean Peninsula.
The missile “disappeared from radar” during the fairing separation stage, the agency added.
(URGENT) NK rocket fairing falls into waters southwest of Jeju Island https://t.co/3R3VhCp1Ct— Yonhap News Agency (@YonhapNews) February 7, 2016
A senior US defense official also confirmed the launch, saying that the flight trajectory “does not pose a threat to the US or our allies.”
However, US National Security Adviser Susan Rice called the launch “a serious threat” to American interests.
"North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs represent serious threats to our interests – including the security of some of our closest allies–and undermine peace and security in the broader region," Rice said.
Pyongyang is acting against the norms of international law, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“It is obvious that such actions aggravate the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia as a whole,” said the ministry, adding that the course of action chosen by Pyongyang can only prompt strong protest.
The Chinese Defense Ministry also criticized the rocket launch as being a “second violation” of UN resolutions by North Korea in just over a month. “The launch threatens the international system of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, leading to further deterioration of the situation on the Korean Peninsula,” the ministry’s statement said.
North Korea previously notified the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) about a potential rocket launch to put an earth observation satellite into orbit, claiming a launch window of February 8 to February 25.
The launch however triggered international concern as a potential long-range missile test. The North is banned from using ballistic missile technology under UN Security Council resolutions.
No anti-ballistic missiles were fired as the rocket passed over the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, broadcaster NHK reports. Meanwhile Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has immediately condemned the launch, telling reporters that "we absolutely cannot allow this.”
''We will take action to totally protect the safety and well-being of our people," Abe said.
An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council is reportedly set to take place later on Sunday to discuss the event. South Korean bodies are already convening emergency meetings on different levels.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye termed the launch an “unacceptable provocation” as he called on Washington to “take all necessary measures” in response to the threat.
Sunday's launch is the sixth long-range missile test by the North. Last month North Korea claimed to have successfully tested a thermonuclear bomb. While many experts doubt that the nuclear device was indeed an H-bomb, the move prompted the US and its regional allies, Japan and South Korea, to seek tougher UN sanctions against Kim Jong Un.
N. Korea preparing 5th nuclear test - S. Korea spy agency
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North Korea is preparing for its fifth nuclear test, the South's intelligence services have said, as cited by Yonhap agency. The news come hours after Pyongyang claimed it had successfully put an earth observation satellite into orbit.
Earlier the agency reported that the South Korean military found suspected fragments of the North’s rocket.
The metal object believed to be a part of the rocket's fairing (the nose cone which houses the payload) was discovered southeast of South Korea's Jeju Island by a navy ship, an official from the country's Defense Ministry said.
@YonhapNews: "(URGENT) S. Korea's spy agency says N. Korea is preparing for fifth nuclear test…" #1 in South Korea https://t.co/7RLdIUlgLA— South Korea: news (@TopRT_KR) February 7, 2016
Yonhap cited a Seoul lawmaker, who said the North has the technology for an intercontinental ballistic missile.
“The satellite is presumed to weigh 200 kilograms, two times heavier than the satellite launched in 2012," the lawmaker said, after being briefed in a closed-door session by the National Intelligence Service. A proper satellite usually weighs at least 800 to 1,500 kilograms, the agency wrote.
The North Korean satellite was launched on a “carrier rocket” that blasted off from the Sohae Space Center in Cholsan County. The KCNA news agency said the satellite entered its preset orbit nine minutes and 46 seconds after lift-off at 9:09am Korean time.
Russia’s Interfax agency has cited the North Korean embassy in Moscow as saying that Pyongyang is planning to continue to launching rockets carrying satellites into space.
URGENT: North Korea’s rocket ‘burned up’ southwest of Jeju - Yonhap https://t.co/JiF2CiybiW pic.twitter.com/M5QixRfHEP— RT (@RT_com) February 7, 2016
The launch triggered international concern as a potential long-range missile test. The UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. South Korean bodies are already convening emergency meetings at different levels. The UNSC has been working on sanctions against Pyongyang for its January nuclear test.
"North Korea has committed an unacceptable provocation by launching a long-range missile after conducting a fourth nuclear test,” South Korean President Park Geun-hye said. "The [UN] Security Council should quickly come up with strong sanctions."
S. Korea agrees to begin talks on US missile defense after North's rocket launch
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South Korea has agreed to start negotiations with the US on the possible deployment of a missile defense system on its territory, Seoul officials said.
The announcement of the possible deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) was made by Yoo Jeh-seung, South Korean deputy minister for policy at a meeting with Lt. Gen. Thomas Vandal, the commander of USFK's Eighth Army.
"The US and South Korea have decided to start official discussions on the possibility of US Forces Korea's deployment of THAAD as part of measures to upgrade the South Korea-US alliance's missile defense position against North Korea's advancing threats," Yoo Jeh-seung said, as cited by the Yonhap news agency.
According to General Vandal, the decision to deploy THAAD was made on the recommendation of United States Forces Korea Commander General Curtis Scaparrotti.
“It’s time to move forward on the issue,” Vandal said.
The news comes hours after North Korea claimed it had successfully put an earth observation satellite into orbit.
The launch, however, triggered international concern as a potential long-range missile test. The North is banned from using ballistic missile technology under UN Security Council resolutions.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye said: "North Korea has committed an unacceptable provocation by launching a long-range missile after conducting a fourth nuclear test.”
"The [UN] Security Council should quickly come up with strong sanctions," she added.
An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council is scheduled to take place later on Sunday to discuss the event. South Korean bodies are already convening emergency meetings at different levels. The UNSC has been working on sanctions against Pyongyang for its January nuclear test.
Seoul is also planning to expand anti-North propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts at the border, Yonhap added.
China said THAAD missile systems, should they be deployed in South Korea, are a serious threat to China's interests in the region, AP reported.
However, South Korea says the missiles will only be aimed north. "If THAAD is deployed to the Korean peninsula, it will be only operated against North Korea," Yoo Jeh-seung said, as cited by Reuters.
France and the UK have condemned North Korea’s rocket launch. UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the missile test was a "clear and deliberate" violation of UN security council resolutions.
"I strongly condemn North Korea's ballistic missile technology test. This is a clear and deliberate violation of a number of UN Security Council resolutions. North Korea's actions continue to present a threat to regional and international security," Hammond said.
- RT News.
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