US, South Korea plan talks on anti-missile system

A USA official told ABC News that while the Unha 3 rocket was able to get its payload into orbit, it has been tumbling ever since.

The UN Security Council condemned the launch in an emergency meeting on Sunday, according to Reuters, and promised to take “significant measures” over what they called a violation of UN resolutions. “So, we don’t believe that it should pose any sort of concern to the Chinese”.

The North’s state-run media announced Sunday the successful launch of a satellite, eliciting strong condemnation from the worldwide community.

The United States hopes to deploy the THAAD system into South Korea “as quickly as possible”, said Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook.

United Nations resolutions forbid North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology.

“Dialogue on the North Korea issue should be reopened”, Xinhua stated, adding China’s rival Japan could use the current crisis as an opportunity to deepen the alliance with the United States and South Korea.

The KCNA report added that the satellite is orbiting the Earth every 94 minutes and is carrying “measuring and telecommunications apparatuses for observing the Earth”.

6 that it had once again conducted a nuclear test, this time of a hydrogen bomb, China and the US both denounced the action and urged North Korea to honor its global commitments.

“North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons programs represent serious threats to our interests – including the security of some of our closest allies – and undermine peace and security in the broader region”, U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice said in a statement.

“We’re committed to the security of South Korea and that is exactly what this technology is meant to address, which is the threat that emanates from North Korea”.

China’s leadership is reluctant to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea because a sudden collapse of the regime could spark a refugee crisis at its border and lead to a pro-U.S., democratic Korea on its doorstep, analysts say.

The US confirmed that the launch was successful on 8 February, with the Pentagon saying it would begin “formal consultations” with Seoul to deploy an advanced missile defence system in the Korean Peninsula.