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International outrage as North Korea defies UN to launch missile in 'satellite test'
North Korea defied world leaders and United Nations' resolutions yesterday to launch a ballistic missile test.
The missile blasted off in the early hours of Sunday from a coastal site in the north east of the country, prompting immediate condemnation from around the world.
The U.S. and other nations suspect the launch was a cover for a test of North Korea's long-range missile techonology.
Barack Obama was woken up with the news it had taken off yesterday morning, during his stay in the Czech republic at the end of his hectic European tour.
South Koreans watch the North Korean rocket launch on television. The launch was branded 'provocative' by US President Barack Obama
South Koreans watch the North Korean rocket launch on television. The launch was branded a 'provocative action' by US President Barack Obama
The U.S. President immediately said the launch threatened the security of countries 'near and far' and urged North Korea to 'refrain from further provocative actions'.
Later, in a planned speech on nuclear proliferation yesterday, he told a huge crowd in Prague: 'North Korea broke the rules once more by testing a rocket that could be used for a long-range missile.
'This provocation underscores the need for action - not just this afternoon at the UN Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons.'
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Japan, South Korea, China and Russia as well as Britain joined the President in condemning the move.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it was not 'conducive' to regional stability.
The UN security council said it would hold an emergency session in New York last night, following a request from Japan minutes after the launch.
US President Barack Obama delivers his public speech in front of thousands of people on the Hradcanske square in Prague today
Barack Obama speaking today in Prague. The US President said that North Korea had broken the rules and that 'now is the time for a strong international response'
Gordon Brown, who was also in Prague, described the launch as 'completely unacceptable' and a 'breach of international obligations.
He said the launch would be condemned by every country across the globe.
In Britain, Foreign Secretary David Miliband branded the launch a 'hostile' policy and said it represented part of North Korea's 'ballistic missile programme'
'While Pyongyang continues to pursue a hostile policy towards the rest of the world, it cannot hope to take its rightful place within the international community, he said.
'I strongly urge North Korea to cease immediately all further missile-related activity and commit to engaging constructively with international partners,' he said.
A protestor in front of the pro- Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, following the North Korean rocket launch over Japan
A protestor in front of the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, following North Korea's rocket launch this morning
The multistage rocket was launched at 3.30am UK time Sunday from the coastal Musudan-ri launch pad in north-eastern North Korea, flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific Ocean.
North Korea has previously said it was sending a satellite into orbit, but the state's neighbours suspected the launch was a cover for a long-range missile test and therefore a potential step towards the development of a nuclear weapon.
Mr Miliband said: 'I strongly condemn North Korea's action in conducting a satellite launch.
North Korea rocket
A satellite image shows the Musudan Ri rocket launch facility in North Korea
'This action contributes directly to their ballistic missile programme, and therefore puts North Korea in breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1718.'
South Korea's presidential Blue House called the launch a 'reckless' move that posed a 'serious threat' to stability on the Korean peninsula.
Presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said: 'We cannot contain our disappointment and regret over North Korea's reckless act.'
Japanese prime minister Taro Aso told a news conference: 'Our primary concern is to confirm safety and gather information.'
The Taepoding-1, described as the first generation of North Korea's ballistic missile. The communist state is set to test the second generation in three or four days, reports claim
The Taepoding-1 - dubbed the first generation of North Korea's ballistic missile
Mr Obama's speech in Prague this morning was attended by crowds of around 20,000 people.
The choice of Prague for such a speech carried strong symbolism, and the President did not ignore it.
Decades of communism were toppled in Czechoslovakia through the 1989 Velvet Revolution which gained its name because it was one of the few peaceful overthrows of communism in the Iron Curtain countries.
Mr Obama praised the Czechs for helping "bring down a nuclear-armed empire without firing a shot'.
But he went on: 'In a strange turn of history, the threat of global nuclear war has gone down, but the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up.
'The world must stand together and prevent the spread of these weapons. Now is the time for a strong international response.'
He declared that the 'most immediate and extreme threat to global security' was the possibility terrorists possessing nuclear weapons.
'One terrorist with a nuclear weapon could unleash massive destruction. Al Qaeda has said it seeks a bomb. And that it would have no problem in using it. And we know that there is unsecured nuclear material across the globe. To protect our people, we must act with a sense of purpose without delay.'
If the long-range rocket test-fires successfully, North Korea would have a strike range of 4,200miles - putting it at least in range of the American state of Alaska
If the long-range rocket has test-fired successfully, North Korea would have a strike range of 4,200miles - putting it at least in range of Alaska in the US
The launch of a rocket by North Korea was a reminder a 'more rigorous' approach to the threat was vital, he claimed.
'Just as we stood for freedom in the 20th century, we must stand together for the right of people everywhere to live free from fear in the 21st,' he said.
'And as a nuclear power - as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon - the United States has a moral responsibility to act. We cannot succeed in this endeavour alone, but we can lead it.'
He admitted the goal of clearing the world of nuclear weapons would not be easily achieved - perhaps not in his lifetime - but insisted it had to be done.
The U.S. will host a summit on nuclear security within the next year, he pledged, as he announced a new international effort to secure nuclear material within four years.
'We go forward with no illusions. Some will break the rules. That's why we need a structure in place that ensures that when any nation does, they will face consequences,' he said.
Mr Obama added: 'As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with the missile system. If the Iranian threat is eliminated, we will have a stronger basis for security, and the driving force for missile defence construction in Europe will be removed.'
North Korea defied world leaders and United Nations' resolutions yesterday to launch a ballistic missile test.
The missile blasted off in the early hours of Sunday from a coastal site in the north east of the country, prompting immediate condemnation from around the world.
The U.S. and other nations suspect the launch was a cover for a test of North Korea's long-range missile techonology.
Barack Obama was woken up with the news it had taken off yesterday morning, during his stay in the Czech republic at the end of his hectic European tour.
South Koreans watch the North Korean rocket launch on television. The launch was branded 'provocative' by US President Barack Obama
South Koreans watch the North Korean rocket launch on television. The launch was branded a 'provocative action' by US President Barack Obama
The U.S. President immediately said the launch threatened the security of countries 'near and far' and urged North Korea to 'refrain from further provocative actions'.
Later, in a planned speech on nuclear proliferation yesterday, he told a huge crowd in Prague: 'North Korea broke the rules once more by testing a rocket that could be used for a long-range missile.
'This provocation underscores the need for action - not just this afternoon at the UN Security Council, but in our determination to prevent the spread of these weapons.'
More...
* I'll lead us to a nuke-free world, promises Obama
Japan, South Korea, China and Russia as well as Britain joined the President in condemning the move.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said it was not 'conducive' to regional stability.
The UN security council said it would hold an emergency session in New York last night, following a request from Japan minutes after the launch.
US President Barack Obama delivers his public speech in front of thousands of people on the Hradcanske square in Prague today
Barack Obama speaking today in Prague. The US President said that North Korea had broken the rules and that 'now is the time for a strong international response'
Gordon Brown, who was also in Prague, described the launch as 'completely unacceptable' and a 'breach of international obligations.
He said the launch would be condemned by every country across the globe.
In Britain, Foreign Secretary David Miliband branded the launch a 'hostile' policy and said it represented part of North Korea's 'ballistic missile programme'
'While Pyongyang continues to pursue a hostile policy towards the rest of the world, it cannot hope to take its rightful place within the international community, he said.
'I strongly urge North Korea to cease immediately all further missile-related activity and commit to engaging constructively with international partners,' he said.
A protestor in front of the pro- Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, following the North Korean rocket launch over Japan
A protestor in front of the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, following North Korea's rocket launch this morning
The multistage rocket was launched at 3.30am UK time Sunday from the coastal Musudan-ri launch pad in north-eastern North Korea, flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific Ocean.
North Korea has previously said it was sending a satellite into orbit, but the state's neighbours suspected the launch was a cover for a long-range missile test and therefore a potential step towards the development of a nuclear weapon.
Mr Miliband said: 'I strongly condemn North Korea's action in conducting a satellite launch.
North Korea rocket
A satellite image shows the Musudan Ri rocket launch facility in North Korea
'This action contributes directly to their ballistic missile programme, and therefore puts North Korea in breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1718.'
South Korea's presidential Blue House called the launch a 'reckless' move that posed a 'serious threat' to stability on the Korean peninsula.
Presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said: 'We cannot contain our disappointment and regret over North Korea's reckless act.'
Japanese prime minister Taro Aso told a news conference: 'Our primary concern is to confirm safety and gather information.'
The Taepoding-1, described as the first generation of North Korea's ballistic missile. The communist state is set to test the second generation in three or four days, reports claim
The Taepoding-1 - dubbed the first generation of North Korea's ballistic missile
Mr Obama's speech in Prague this morning was attended by crowds of around 20,000 people.
The choice of Prague for such a speech carried strong symbolism, and the President did not ignore it.
Decades of communism were toppled in Czechoslovakia through the 1989 Velvet Revolution which gained its name because it was one of the few peaceful overthrows of communism in the Iron Curtain countries.
Mr Obama praised the Czechs for helping "bring down a nuclear-armed empire without firing a shot'.
But he went on: 'In a strange turn of history, the threat of global nuclear war has gone down, but the risk of a nuclear attack has gone up.
'The world must stand together and prevent the spread of these weapons. Now is the time for a strong international response.'
He declared that the 'most immediate and extreme threat to global security' was the possibility terrorists possessing nuclear weapons.
'One terrorist with a nuclear weapon could unleash massive destruction. Al Qaeda has said it seeks a bomb. And that it would have no problem in using it. And we know that there is unsecured nuclear material across the globe. To protect our people, we must act with a sense of purpose without delay.'
If the long-range rocket test-fires successfully, North Korea would have a strike range of 4,200miles - putting it at least in range of the American state of Alaska
If the long-range rocket has test-fired successfully, North Korea would have a strike range of 4,200miles - putting it at least in range of Alaska in the US
The launch of a rocket by North Korea was a reminder a 'more rigorous' approach to the threat was vital, he claimed.
'Just as we stood for freedom in the 20th century, we must stand together for the right of people everywhere to live free from fear in the 21st,' he said.
'And as a nuclear power - as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon - the United States has a moral responsibility to act. We cannot succeed in this endeavour alone, but we can lead it.'
He admitted the goal of clearing the world of nuclear weapons would not be easily achieved - perhaps not in his lifetime - but insisted it had to be done.
The U.S. will host a summit on nuclear security within the next year, he pledged, as he announced a new international effort to secure nuclear material within four years.
'We go forward with no illusions. Some will break the rules. That's why we need a structure in place that ensures that when any nation does, they will face consequences,' he said.
Mr Obama added: 'As long as the threat from Iran persists, we will go forward with the missile system. If the Iranian threat is eliminated, we will have a stronger basis for security, and the driving force for missile defence construction in Europe will be removed.'
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