The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) defied warnings from the international community and launched a long-range missile late Saturday, placing an earth observation satellite into orbit.
The launch, described by United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon as a “provocative action,” violated current UN Security Council resolutions and quickly spurred international condemnation—as well as an emergency meeting of the Security Council in New York on Sunday.
An announcement broadcasted on DPRK state TV on Sunday said the launch was a “complete success,” and that the the Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite, named after the late leader Kim Jong-il, was now orbiting the planet every 94 minutes. An announcer added that the country plans additional satellite launches.
“The U.S. and its allies believe the [North Korean] regime uses satellite launches as covert tests of technology that could be used to develop a missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland,” the Guardian reports. The difference, AP notes, is that “a rocket is called a space launch vehicle when it is used to send up a satellite into orbit, but it becomes a missile when its payload is a warhead.”
Following the launch, non-proliferation advocates warned against knee-jerk reactions and misrepresentations of the latest launch.
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