As recently promised, North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Sunday carrying what it has said is a satellite. The move, which was condemned in advance by North Korea’s allies and perceived enemies alike, is in defiance of United Nations sanctions barring it from using ballistic missile technology.
North Korea initially gave a February 8-25 time frame for the launch, but changed that to February 7-14 on Saturday. The move comes ahead of celebrations on February 14 and 16 that honor the late ruler Kim Jong-il, father of current leader Kim Jong-un.
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The rocket was launched on a southward trajectory, as planned, passing over Japan’s southern Okinawa islands. Japan had said it would shoot down parts of the rocket that entered its airspace, but that did not happen, public broadcaster NHK said. The rocket’s first stage booster successfully separated, South Korea’s Yonhap reported.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch “absolutely unacceptable,” while China’s official Xinhua news agency said the move will worsen tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Related: As North Korea Prepares to Launch A Rocket, Everyone Else Prepares to Freak Out About It
Last month, North Korea tested a nuclear device for the fourth time, although the US and other governments have expressed doubt over the North’s claim that it successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb.
North Korea is believed to be working on miniaturizing a nuclear warhead to mount on a missile. It has shown off two versions of a ballistic missile resembling a type that could reach the US West Coast, but there is no evidence the missiles have been tested.
The Kim regime says it has the sovereign right to pursue a space program, but it is barred under UN Security Council resolutions from using ballistic missile technology.
It last launched a long-range rocket in December 2012, sending into orbit an object it described as a communications satellite.
US National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice issued a statement calling the test a “destabilizing and provocative action” that will “undermine peace and security in the broader region.”
“We condemn today’s launch and North Korea’s determination to prioritize its missile and nuclear weapons programs over the well-being of its people,” Rice said. ? “The United States is fully committed to the security of our allies in the region, and we will take all necessary steps to defend ourselves and our allies and respond to North Korean provocations. We call upon the international community to stand together and demonstrate to North Korea that its reckless actions must have serious consequences.”
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