The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting following North Korea’s launch of a long-range rocket. The meeting was requested by South Korea, Japan and the US to agree on a collective response to the launch. Pyongyang said it fired the rocket yesterday to place a satellite in orbit, but critics believe the real purpose was to test a ballistic missile.
The launch comes weeks after North Korea held a fourth nuclear test, both acts violating UN resolutions. The launch of the rocket was hailed by North Korean media as a “fascinating vapour trailing in the clear and blue sky in spring of February on the threshold of the Day of the Shining Star”. A statement said a new Earth observation satellite, Kwangmyongsong-4, had successfully been put into orbit less than 10 minutes after lift-off from the Sohae space centre in North Phyongan province.
Hailing it as part of the country’s peaceful space programme, a state TV newsreader said the launch had been ordered by North Korea’s leader Kim Jon-un and more satellite launches were planned for the future. Meanwhile, South Korean MPs were told in a closed-door briefing by the country’s spy agency late yesterday that the launch should be treated as a ballistic missile test as the satellite it put into orbit would be useless
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