North Korea’s heralded long-range rocket test ended in failure Friday, disintegrating in mid-air soon after blastoff and plunging into the sea in a major embarrassment for the reclusive state.
The defiant launch drew condemnation from world leaders who described it as a “provocative” act threatening regional security, despite Pyongyang insisting it was intended to put a satellite into orbit for peaceful purposes.
Some four hours after the rocket exploded over the Yellow Sea, the North admitted the satellite had failed to enter orbit, and that “scientists, technicians and experts are now looking into the cause of the failure”.
The United States and its allies slammed the exercise as a disguised ballistic missile test that contravened United Nations resolutions triggered by Pyongyang’s two nuclear tests.
“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,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
He said the launch “violates international law and contravenes its own recent commitments”, under which Pyongyang had agreed to suspend its nuclear and missile tests in return for US food aid.
South Korea’s defence ministry said the rocket lifted off at 07:39 am (2239 GMT Thursday) and flew for just over two minutes before it “splintered into two parts, probably due to a blast” and then broke into smaller pieces.
The debris fell into the Yellow Sea off South Korea and its navy launched a salvage operation to retrieve the debris, despite warnings from Pyongyang last week not to attempt such an operation.
“We are keeping a close watch over the North for further provocative acts such as missile tests and a nuclear test,” the ministry said, referring to fears the launch could be followed by North Korea’s third atomic test.
The South’s Defence Minister Kim Kwan-Jin also said that the North’s troops had been placed on heightened vigilance.
