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| A North Korean long-range missile launch has failed, U.S. officials confirm (AP Photo) |
By Eric Pfeiffer
The Upshot
UPDATE: [8:20pm ET]: This story will be updated as events unfold.
- U.S. officials say they believe the launch failed.
- U.N. Security Council is meeting Friday to discuss a response.
- This is the third failed attempt at an orbital launch since 1998.
Defying international pressure, North Korea launched a long-range missile Friday morning. However, U.S. officials say they believe the attempted launch failed before the missile was able to leave the Earth's atmosphere.
U.S. officials confirm that a North Korean long-range missile appears to have broken apart midair after launch. Officials say they believe the missile fell apart within the Earth's atmosphere before crashing into the sea.
Japan's Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka has backed U.S. reports that the launch failed. "We have confirmed that a certain flying object has been launched and fell after flying for just over a minute," Tanaka said.
South Korea's Defense Ministry first reported the launch, which is seen as defying international warnings and widely viewed as a provocation from the rogue state.
The U.N. Security Council will meet Friday to discuss a response to the North's attempted launch.
South Korea Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told reporters in a nationally televised news conference that the rocket was fired at 7:39 a.m, local time Friday. "We suspect the North Korean missile has fallen as it divided into pieces minutes after liftoff."
South Korean and U.S. intelligence reports say the launch was made from the west coast launch pad in the hamlet of Tongchang-ri.
The launch comes after weeks of speculation regarding the possible launch, which North Korea's government says was being done to send a weather satellite into orbit. If true, it would represent the third failed attempt by North Korea to send a satellite into space since 1998.
North Korea says it was timing the launch to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of the country's former leader, Kim Il Sung, which they are celebrating Sunday.
However, most observers say the launch is actually tied to the country's missile program. Japan has already given its military clearance to shoot down the rocket if it crosses into Japanese airspace.
A White House statement is expected to be issued shortly.
There was no word from North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, about the launch.
North Korean television was reportedly broadcasting popular folk music at the time of the launch and has only said it will offer an announcement on the launch "soon."
10 comments:
I think the body of Kim Young Ill was placed inside the rocket ship to send him to the moon. Too bad, God blew on the spaceship and it crashed back to earth. He has the last laugh.
GOOD IT'S FAIL. NOW TIME TO PUNISHED THEM MORE AT THE UNSC. POUK AH BEYSACH
8:38 AM Hahaha. I wish it was the body Ah AH CHkae Kwak Hun Sen though, then we can all have the laugh laugh of the world DUMBEST Vietminh.
A lot of N. Korean scientists will be executed for this failure.
Just like in Khmer rouge, when they screwed up something, they blamed it on the enemy within whom they had to eliminate.
Baay Kdaing
8:51AM, stop shouting ignorance to self!
AH 1:59PM
FUCK YOU BITCH, YOU EVIL BASTARD. GO LICK KDOR AH KIM JONG ILL DOWN IN HELL. NORTH KOREAN PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING SO MUCH BECAUSE OF THEIR STUPID LEADER WHO CARELESS ABOUT THEIR OWN PEOPLE STARVING TOO DEATH BY DOING MISSILE TEST WHICH VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL LAWS.
No food aid to them it's only feed their military anyways
To ....Lok 11:09 AM
Lok mean "Baay Kdaing" nov sol teh,
Knhom doch jea neuk klean nass tean ....
North Korea never thinks about its own people who starve to death.
Its spent money and times to build missiles.
These are how the communists and dictators leaders from father to son and grandson.
When ah Hun Sen will be dead,his son will be on the throne of Cambodia.
It was Taepadong-2 that fail. These kind of provocative move is indefinitely violated the international laws and add more tension to the region. I can see more sanction coming to them
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