North Korea launches long-range rocket as Japan vows to 'take action' against Kim Jong-un's rogue state
North Korea has hailed the launching of its long-range
rocket over Japan as an 'epochal event' despite condemnation from world
leaders over fears the rocket was a covert ballistic missile test. The
secretive state claimed they were only launching a satellite (land plan,
pictured left) into space and 'legitimately exercising the right to use
space for independent and peaceful purposes'. The country's broadcast
service released footage of the missile, with cameras on the side of the
missile (main pic) showing the moment of blast-off. The country's
leader Kim Jong-un (inset right) was shown watching the controversial
launch. The Pentagon confirmed the launch, which saw the rocket fly over
Okinawa, where Patriot missiles had been stationed with orders to shoot
it down if it threatened Japanese territory.
North Korea launches long-range rocket as Japan vows to 'take action' against Kim Jong-un's rogue state
- North Korea has launched a long-range rocket over Japan, Pentagon says
- Rocket flew over Okinawa from a site in the west of the secretive state
- Japanese PM Shinzo Abe said he would 'take action' against North Korea
- John Kerry called the rocket launch as 'a major provocation' and said it was 'a flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolutions'
- For more news on North Korea visit www.dailymail.co.uk/northkorea
North Korea has
hailed the launching of its long-range rocket over Japan as an 'epochal
event' despite condemnation from world leaders over fears the rocket
was a covert ballistic missile test.
The
secretive state claimed they were only launching a satellite into space
and 'legitimately exercising the right to use space for independent and
peaceful purposes'.
The
country's broadcast service released footage of the missile being
launched as residents were shown celebrating in the streets of
Pyongyang.
The
Pentagon confirmed the launch, which saw the rocket fly over Okinawa,
where Patriot missiles had been stationed with orders to shoot it down
if it threatened Japanese territory.
Images have emerged from North Korean TV, who trumpeted the rocket launch as a 'epochal event'
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un watched the rocket launch from an secret planning room
North
Korean state television said the satellite successfully made it into
space and that Pyongyang was planning further launches.
North
Korea said the launch of the satellite Kwangmyongsong-4, named after
late leader Kim Jong Il, was a 'complete success' and it was making a
polar orbit of Earth every 94 minutes.
However
South Korea and its allies declared the launch a clear defiance of
multiple UN resolutions, insisting it was a disguised test of a
ballistic missile which could one day deliver a weapon as far as the US
mainland.
U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry condemned the launch as 'a flagrant
violation of UN Security Council Resolutions' as he accused North Korea
of a 'major provocation'.
North Korea's actions continue to present a threat to regional and international security
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond
He
said the launch had threatened the United States and reaffirmed
America's 'ironclad commitment to the defense of our allies, including
the Republic of Korea and Japan'.
U.S.
National Security Adviser Susan Rice said the launch represented
'serious threats to our interests - including the security of some of
our closest allies - and undermines peace and security in the broader
region'.
The
British Foreign Office 'strongly' condemned North Korea's latest rocket
launch with Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond claiming the country's
actions were 'a threat to regional and international security.'
A camera filmed from the side of the rocket the successful moment of blast off in North Korea
All smiles on the streets of Pyongyang
as North Korea celebrated the rocket launch as the United
Nations labelled the launch 'deeply deplorable'
Pyongyang's state TV said it
successfully put a satellite into orbit, 'legitimately exercising the
right to use space for independent and peaceful purposes'
A crowd of residents in Pyongyang watch the news announcement from state television on a big screen
Kim Jong-Un pictured surveying the view and watching the rocket launch of earth observation satellite Kwangmyong 4
Last month, North Korea tested a
nuclear device for the fourth time, although the United States and other
governments have expressed doubt over the North's claim that it
exploded a hydrogen bomb
Mr
Hammond said: '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.
'In
conducting this provocation, North Korea has clearly demonstrated that
it is intent on prioritising the development of its nuclear and
ballistic missile programmes over improving the well-being of its own
people.
'As
North Korea is aware, the UN Security Council unanimously agreed to
take significant measures against any further launches or nuclear tests.
We will now meet with our partners in New York to agree a collective
response.'
A
Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'We will also emphasise to North
Korea through diplomatic channels that such actions will only serve to
isolate the country further.'
A
spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: 'It is deeply
deplorable that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has conducted a
launch using ballistic missile technology in violation of relevant
Security Council resolutions.'
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch
'absolutely unacceptable' as he vowed to take action against North Korea.
'We absolutely cannot allow this. We will take action to totally protect the safety and well-being of our people,' he said.
Despite North Korea's insistence that
they were testing an satellite launch, the move has been condemned as an
act of aggression
The British
Foreign Office has 'strongly' condemned North Korea's launch of a
long-range rocket, thought to have been a test of its ballistic missile
technology
North Korea is believed to have at least 12 nuclear warheads with the explosive power of up to 40 kilotonnes
North Korean TV released footage from inside Kim's war room where he watched the launch alongside his team of military advisers
The United Nations labelled the launch 'deeply deplorable' and Japan termed it 'absolutely intolerable'
South Korean President Park Geun-hye called the launch a 'challenge to world peace'.
China
expressed regret and called on all sides to act cautiously and refrain
from steps that might further raise tension. China is North Korea's main
ally, although it disapproves of its nuclear weapons programme.
'China
expresses regret that North Korea, in spite of the pervasive opposition
of the international community, insisted on using ballistic missile
technology to carry out a launch,' foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua
Chunying said.
France
condemned North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket on Sunday as
'senseless provocation' and called for a 'rapid and tough' response from
the UN Security Council.
The course chosen by Pyongyang cannot but cause a decisive protest
Russia have spoken out against North Korea after the rocket launch
'France
condemns with the utmost firmness the new flagrant violation by North
Korea of the resolutions of the Security Council,' the presidential
Elysee Palace said in a statement.
'The
launch... is a senseless provocation,' it added, saying: 'France calls
for a rapid and tough response from the international community at the
Security Council' meeting in New York later Sunday.
Russia
also condemned North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket, saying the
move was a serious blow to regional security including that of
Pyongyang.
'It
is obvious that such actions lead to a serious aggravation of the
situation on the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia on the
whole...(and) inflict serious damage to the security of the countries of
the region, first and foremost North Korea itself,' the foreign
ministry said in a statement.
Russia,
which is one of the few backers of the isolated Stalinist country and
with which it shares a border, said that Pyongyang had once again
demonstrated 'audacious disdain for the norms of international law.'
'The course chosen by Pyongyang cannot but cause a decisive protest,' the foreign ministry said.
'We
urgently recommend that the North Korean leadership think whether the
policy of placing yourself in opposition to the international community
is in the country's interests.'
Large crowds gathered in the centre of Pyongyang to watch state television as the rocket launch was announced
Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (left) called the launch 'absolutely
unacceptable' as he vowed to take action against Kim Jong-un's (right)
North Korea
The
launch took place at about 9.30am local time on Sunday (7.30pm EST on
Saturday) from a site in the west of the secretive state.
Tyrannical
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took the decision to fire the rocket in
defiance of UN sanctions barring it from using ballistic missile
technology
More
international sanctions against the rogue state are now likely, with
many considering the launch a secretive attempt to test its missile
technology.
It
comes just weeks after North Korea claimed it had tested a hydrogen
bomb - claims which were called into question by military experts.
Japan's
national broadcaster NHK broke into normal programming to alert the
news of Sunday morning's launch and show live footage of Patriot missile
batteries on the island of Okinawa deployed to shoot down any debris
that might potentially fall on Japanese territory.
The rocket was launched on a southward trajectory as planned, passing over Japan's southern Okinawa islands.
It appeared to have successfully separated its first stage booster, South Korean Press reported.
Last month, North Korea tested a nuclear device for the
fourth time, although the United States and other governments
have expressed doubt over the North's claim that it exploded a
hydrogen bomb.
Patriot missiles were stationed in Okinawa with orders to shoot the rocket down if it threatened Japanese soil
Visitors watch the North Korean side
at the unification observation post near the border village of
Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War
North Korea is believed to be working on miniaturizing a
nuclear warhead to mount on a missile, but many experts say it
is some time away from perfecting such technology.
It has shown off two versions of a ballistic missile
resembling a type that could reach the U.S. West Coast, but
there is no evidence the missiles have been tested
Isolated North Korea says it has a sovereign right to pursue
a space program, but it is barred under UN Security Council
resolutions from using ballistic missile technology.
North
Korea previously tested nuclear explosive devices in 2006, 2009 and
2013, and claimed it successfully delivered a satellite into orbit in
December 2012, the last time it launched a long-range rocket.
The
launch will amplify calls by the U.S. and South Korea for more
stringent trade and financial sanctions against North Korea.
However,
critics argue that economic sanctions have little impact on Pyongyang
because it does very little trade with the outside world.
Millions of people live in poverty in North Korea and it has been argued that further sanctions only make this situation worse,
China,
North Korea's only major ally, is unlikely to support stronger
punishment against Pyongyang over fears of provoking a regime collapse,
and potentially a stream of refugees across the border, analysts say.
China is also responsible for about 70 percent of the North's trade volume, according to South Korean estimates.
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