The undated satellite photo provided by
Google Earth shows the Musudan-ri missile base in the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK). The DPRK on Sunday launched communications
satellite by Kwangmyongsong-2 rocket at local time 11:32 (02:32 GMT
Sunday), South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported, by quoting Japan's
NHK, Sunday. (Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
SEOUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched a rocket at 11:30 a.m. local time (0230
GMT),which was confirmed by the United States, Japan and South Korea.
South Korean and Russian news agencies said a
satellite was carried by the rocket.
"We believe North Korea (DPRK) fired a rocket
carrying a satellite," a South Korean government official was quoted as saying
by the Yonhap news agency.
Russia's Interfax news agency also said a satellite
is apparently carried by the rocket according to Russian air defense radar
detection.
Pedestrians walk near a railway station
in Pyongyang, capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),
on April 5, 2009. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has
successfully launched a long-range rocket mounted with a communications
satellite at 11:20 am local time (0220 GMT) on Sunday, the official KCNA
news agency said. (Xinhua/Zhang Binyang) Photo
Gallery>>>
However, U.S. President Barack Obama who is visiting
Europe said what the DPRK launched Sunday was a "Taepo-dong 2 missile" and it
was a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said
his country is yet to confirm whether the rocket carried a ballistic missile or
a communications satellite.
No damage to Japanese territory has been reported as
a result of the launch and nothing has fallen on Japan so far, Japan's Kyodo
news agency quoted the top Japanese government spokesman as saying.
The Japanese government believed DPRK rocket launch
violated U.N. Security Council resolutions whether it was a satellite or a
missile.
The UN Security Council approved an emergency session
Sunday to deal with the rocket launch after Japan submitted a formal request
letter.
In the wake of the launch, the U.S. State Department
said it will take appropriate steps in response to what it called a "provocative
act."
A square is seen in Pyongyang, capital
of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on April 5, 2009. The
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has successfully launched a
long-range rocket mounted with a communications satellite at 11:20 am
local time (0220 GMT) on Sunday, the official KCNA news agency said.
(Xinhua/Zhang Binyang) Photo
Gallery>>>
However, as a positive sign, Obama said the six-party
talks will continue providing the forum for achieving denuclearization and
reducing tensions in the Korean Peninsula.
Pyongyang noticed international agencies that it
would launch a communications satellite "Kwangmyongsong-2" between 11 a.m. and 4
p.m. (0200 GMT and 0700 GMT) on April 4-8.
The DPRK declared on Feb. 24 that its launching of
the satellite was part of a peaceful space program. It will be carried by the
"Galaxy 2" space launch vehicle.
The DPRK said it is entitled to develop its own space
program and other countries like the United States have no rights to interfere.
The DPRK said it put an experimental satellite
"Kwangmyongsong-1" into orbit in August 1998. But the United States said that it
was a "Taepodong-1" missile test-launch.
TOKYO, April
5 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government said no interceptor was launched against
Pyongyang's rocket which cleared the country on Sunday morning, but it lodged
strong protest against the projectile.
Japanese Prime Minister Aso Taro said the launch is a clear violation of a UN
Security Council resolution, calling it "provocative" and "cannot be
overlooked." Full story
SEOUL, April 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is pushing for joining a U.S.-led
anti-proliferation regime, Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), based on its
own schedule, a South Korean official told South Korea's Yonhap News Agency on
Sunday. Full story
UNITED NATIONS, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security
Council will hold an emergency session on Sunday afternoon to discuss the rocket
launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The UN Spokesperson's Office told Xinhua that the
15-nation council will start to meet at 15:00 EDT (1900 GMT). Full story
BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokeswoman Jiang Yu said here Sunday that China has taken notice of the
launching activity by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday
morning, and also noticed responses from relevant parties.
"The DPRK previously announced to launch experimental
communications satellite. We have taken notice of the launching activity by the
DPRK this morning, and also noticed responses from relevant sides," Jiang
said. Full story
PRAGUE, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The European Union said on Sunday
the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s launch of a rocket put strains
on regional stability.
"These actions place additional strains on regional
stability at a time when the unresolved nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula
requires mutual confidence building," the Czech EU presidency said in a
statement. Full story
UNITED NATIONS, April 5 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon on Sunday voiced his regret over the rocket launch by the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), calling on the DPRK to comply with relevant
Security Council resolutions.
"The secretary-general regrets that, against strong
international appeal, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) went
ahead with its planned launch," said a statement issued by Ban's spokesperson.
Full story
MOSCOW, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry
said on Sunday it is "carefully working over all situations in the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s rocket launch." Full story
MOSCOW, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia will closely follow the
subsequent development after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
launched a rocket earlier Sunday, the Defense Ministry said.
Russia is currently collecting relevant data for further
analysis, the Itar-Tass news agency reported, citing sources from the defense
ministry. Full story
WASHINGTON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack
Obama, who is visiting Europe, said on Sunday that his government will continue
working for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the six-party
talks.
"The Six-Party Talks provide the forum for achieving
denuclearization, reducing tensions, and for resolving other issues of concern
between North Korea (DPRK), its four neighbors, and the United States." Full story
SEOUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean government on
Sunday condemned the DPRK for firing off a rocket, expressing regrets and
disappointment.
Yu Myung Hwan, South Korea's Foreign Minister, said that
the DPRK has caused a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the
world. Full story
WASHINGTON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States' State
Department confirmed on Saturday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
launched a rocket at 0230 GMT on Sunday.
"We have had a launch. I don't know the type of missile,"
U.S. State Department spokesman Fred Lash told reporters on a conference call.
Full
story
TOKYO, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Japan requests UN Security
Council to convene emergency session on DPRK's rocket launch Sunday, local media
reported. Full story
MOSCOW, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia's air defense radars
have detected the launch Sunday of a rocket by the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea (DPRK), the Interfax news agency reported.
The report quoted a military official as saying that the
rocket was apparently carrying a satellite. Full story
TOKYO, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Japan requests UN Security
Council to convene emergency session on DPRK's rocket launch Sunday, local media
reported. Full story
SEOUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) appears to have failed to send a satellite into orbit, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency quoted an official as saying on Sunday. Full story
MOSCOW, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Foreign Ministry
confirmed on Sunday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
launched a satellite earlier in the day. Full story
SEOUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Yu Myung Hwan, South Korea's
Foreign Minister, said here Sunday that the government is yet to confirm whether
the DPRK's satellite has been successfully put into orbit.
"Although the vehicle fired by the DPRK seems to be a
satellite, we are yet to confirm whether it has entered into orbit as the DPRK
announced," the minister said during the press meeting. Full story
PYONGYANG, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) has launched successfully a long-range rocket mounted
with a communications satellite at 11:20 am local time (0220 GMT) on Sunday, the
official KCNA news agency said. Full story
SEOUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) confirmed that its "communications satellite
Kwangmyongsong-2" launched on Sunday has successfully entered into orbit, South
Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported. Full story
SEOUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The rocket that the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched Sunday appears to have carried a
satellite, a top South Korean government official was quoted by Yonhap News
Agency as saying.
"We believe North Korea fired a rocket carrying a
satellite," the official told Yonhap. Full story
TOKYO, April 5 (Xinhua) -- No debris from Pyongyang's
rocket has been reported in Japan, said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo
Kawamura Sunday. Full story
WASHINGTON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The United States' State
Department confirmed on Saturday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
launched a rocket at 0230 GMT on Sunday.
"We have had a launch. I don't know the type of missile,"
U.S. State Department spokesman Fred Lash told reporters on a conference call.
Full story
TOKYO, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Japanese government says no
interceptor was launched against Pyongyang's rocket, which appears to be flying
over the Pacific.
The rocket has dropped two booster stages to the east and
west of the country at 11:37 and 11:43 Japan time respectively, it says. Full story
SEOUL, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday launched communications satellite
Kwangmyongsong-2 rocket at local time 11:30 (02:30 GMT) Sunday, South Korea's
Yonhap News Agency reported.
The South Korean government confirmed that the DPRK fired
the satellite from its Musudan-ri base, Yonhap said. Full story
S Korea says DPRK failed to put satellite into orbit 18:42:52 
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