April 6, 2009 :: News
On Saturday, April 5, North Korea launched its Taepo-Dong-2 ballistic missile in what was described as an attempt to put a satellite into low earth orbit. The missile launched successfully, and as it traveled over the Sea of Japan, its first stage was jettisoned, falling within the area previously designated by North Korea. The missile's flight path then continued over Japan before its remaining stages and payload fell into Pacific Ocean, approximately 800 miles off Japan's eastern coast. The distance the Taepo-Dong-2 traveled is being reported as 2,000 miles (3,200 km).
The missile and its payload seem to have fallen well short of the distance to be expected from the velocity necessary to put a satellite into orbit. North Korea's state news agency claims that the launch successfully orbited a satellite broadcasting revolutionary songs. Although U.S. Aegis ships and Japanese patriot missile-defense systems were on alert in the region, no attempt was made to intercept the missile because it was determined that its trajectory posed no threat to civilian populations.
North Korea's last satellite launch attempt was in 1998—the missile used was the Taepo-Dong-1. The public relations message out of North Korea in 1998 was identical to their recent announcement: they claimed to have achieved a "successful" launch of a "communications" satellite that would play revolutionary melodies.
North Korea's last missile launch was in 2006, a Taepo-Dong-2 test which failed 42 seconds after initiation. The missile used on April 6, 2009 is thought to be a modified Taepo-Dong-2, called the "Unha-2" by North Korea.
President Obama called the attempted satellite launch a "provocative act." The U.S. was nonetheless unable to convince the 15-member U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution condemning the launch when it met in emergency session on Sunday, April 5.
Iran used the incident as an opportunity to reiterate the independence of the North Korean and Iranian missile programs. While fielding a question about North Korea's missile launch after a speech he gave about Iran's nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said: "There is absolutely no relation between the two countries. North Korea launched its space program several years ago and has fired rockets into space many times."
Russia, one of five permanent members on the U.N. Security Council, continues to emphasize the importance of the six-party talks for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Unable to reach an agreement about the proper response to the incident, the Security Council agreed only to further talks. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced his agreement with Russia's ‘prudent' response.
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