Seoul, Tokyo vow to intercept North Korean rocket debris

The launch declaration, meant to warn civilians, shipping and aircraft in the area about the rocket and falling debris, follows North Korea’s disputed claim on January 6 to have tested a hydrogen bomb, the country’s fourth nuclear test.

The North insists its space programme is purely scientific in nature, but the United States and allies like South Korea say its rocket launches are aimed at developing an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the U.S. mainland.

The move sparked intense warnings and criticism from South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States. Enough with deep concern -stop building islands in the South China Sea and Pacific to threaten other Asian nations, and rein in North Korea, now.

“For this reason, starting with the last launch after Japan threatened to shoot down its missiles, North Korea has used a trajectory that did not go over Japan”.

The council has imposed four sets of sanctions on North Korea since it first tested an atomic device in 2006.

“(Chinese President) Xi Jinping has chosen not to communicate in a meaningful fashion with the government of the Republic of Korea, or with President Park Geun-hye, who he has closely cultivated over a period of time”, said Jonathan Pollack, an East Asia policy analyst with the Brookings Institution in Washington.

Chang wondered if the North Koreans and Iranians could be so proud of successfully testing such a missile that they dropped all pretense of a “satellite launch”, and whether “a bold statement of that sort might even get the no-pulse John Kerry to do something about North Korea’s troublesome weapons programs”.

“By simply returning to the table, not really doing anything or imposing any consequences, real outcome on North Korea, then you have acquiesced and accepted them under that status”, said Daniel Pinkston, a lecturer in global relations with Troy University in Seoul.

Wu’s visit is thought to be an attempt to prevent North Korea from launching the rocket and to pave the way for negotiation and dialogue that can ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean intelligence officials have told the New York Times that the North’s previous rocket launch – which put a weather-forecasting satellite into space – was actually a test for a missile that could deliver a 1,300-pound warhead as far as the west coast of the United States.

Recent commercial satellite images showed an increased number of vehicles at North Korea’s Sohae launch station on Monday, compared with a week earlier.

“We have to conclude that there were deliberations between North Korea, China and Russian Federation about Pyongyang’s plans to launch a satellite, and that Wu headed to Pyongyang after these deliberations”, the former official said.

Tokyo and Seoul have expressed outrage over Pyongyang’s plans.

Russian Federation further called on North Korea to resume dialog over its nuclear program and other issues.

North Korea has said that plutonium and highly enriched uranium facilities at its main Nyongbyon nuclear complex are in operation.