North Korea, amid global warnings and hard-hitting criticism, launched a rocket from the western coast, showing its might and following what it had pronounced a few days earlier.

As reported earlier, North Korea was preparing to launch a missile, and recently Pyongyang turned that declaration into reality by launching a missile into orbit. This rattling-down action was exercised when North Korea launched a rocket named “Unha” from Sohae launch pad located in the North West of Pyongyang.

According to the BBC, “The launch of the second version of our Kwangmyongsong-3 (Unha-3) satellite from the Sohae Space Centre … on December 12 was successful” the state news agency KCNA said. “The Satellite has entered the orbit as planned.”

North Korean state media termed the launch as a “ground-breaking” mission that met the “last instructions” of Pyongyang’s late leader.

According to the Guardian, North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), said “ the three-stage Unha rocket had taken its expected southerly course, with its first stage falling into the Yellow Sea west of South Korea and the second landing in the sea east of the Philippines.”

According to Zee News “The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday condemned North Korea for launching a long-range rocket in defiance of UN resolutions.”

North Korea is currently banned from ballistic missile testing as per the UN resolution that was passed in the year 2009 following a second nuclear test. Criticism started flowing in from all corners of the globe over North Korean action that strongly ignored UN Resolutions. Furthermore, it can be said it’s an act that gathered huge condemnation and attention since almost all neighboring countries were displeased with it.

U.S Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said “No matter how the North Koreans choose to describe the launch it violates two council resolutions and shows that country is determined to pursue its ballistic missile program without regard for its international obligations.”

Britain’s foreign secretary William Hague said “I strongly condemn the satellite launch today. The UK government would summon the North Korean ambassador in London,” he added, “This provocative act will increase tension in the region. I deplore the fact that (North Korea) has chosen to prioritize this launch over improving the livelihoods of its people.”

There has been a war of accusations and defiance between North Korea and the world at large over the country’s ambitions of nuclear programs and ballistic missile technology over many years.

Following the launch, a statement was issued by UN Secretary-General that reads “The Secretary General has been urging the leadership in Pyongyang not to carry out such a launch and instead to build confidence with its neighbours while taking steps to improve the lives of its people.” It further said “the Secretary-General is concerned about the negative consequences that this provocative act may have on peace and stability in the region.”

The North Korean official KCNA news agency said that Foreign ministry spokesman expressed views like this: “No matter what others say, we will continue to launch satellites and thus actively contribute to the economic construction and improvement of people’s living standard.”

On the contrary there has been a growing reluctance by North Korea over the international community. Its objections finally surfaced with the launch of the rocket.

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North Korea recently announced its intention to launch a long range missile in December. This follows a failed attempt in April 2102. The North Korea State news agency revealed the country’s plans to send another satellite in orbit which might take place between December 10 and December 22, between 11:00 am to 5:00 pm EST.

According to the BBC‘s Lucy Williams in Seoul, “North Korea’s state media have described the rocket launch as being for peaceful purposes, with the aim of putting a polar-orbiting earth observation satellite into space.”

According to the New Scientist in April, North Korea’s endeavor to cast-off a rocket “failed just within a minute after a 30 metre-long Unha-3 booster blasted off from the sohae satellite launching station at 7:39 am local time on 13 April,” said the official Korean Central News Agency.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado said that “the craft didn’t get anywhere near the orbit.”

After almost seven months of research and analysis over the real cause of April failure, North Korean scientists seem to have identified their mistakes and now they are again ready to launch a rocket into space. North Korea has named the missile Kwangmyongsong-3.

North Korea cautioned the UN shipping agency and international Maritime Organisation about its intentions to launch a rocket into orbit, and released a trajectory of its missile. The first stage of the rocket is expected to dash-off in a western part of the Korean Peninsula and the second stage might drop-off close to the Philippine coast.

China seems to be concerned with the launch and said that all sides should restrain themselves from acts of aggravating tensions in the region.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a brief statement, “We hope all relevant parties will do that which benefits peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, hope all sides will respond calmly and avoid exacerbating the situation.”

Russia, on the other hand, raised vocals of disappointment over North Korea’s decision to move forward with the missile launch. The Russian Foreign Ministry said “We urgently appeal to the government (of North Korea) to reconsider the decision to launch a rocket.”

Russia, at the time of the April launch, with a downcast voice had said “North Korea had been warned not to ignore a UN Security Council resolution which ‘unambiguously prohibits from launching rockets using ballistic technology.’”

United States also joined the  league criticizing North Korean missile launch plans and said that the act would be “highly provocative” and would threaten peace and stability in the region.

The sensitivity of the decision to launch the missile by North Korea can be sensed by the fact that Japan has started deploying a surface-to-air missile system in its southern island.

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Last Friday, North Korea announced that it will launch a long range rocket attached to a satellite between April 12 and 16 to celebrate the 100th birthday of the regime’s founding leader, Kim Il-Sung.

Pyongyang’s announcement sparked widespread criticism from the world. The US, Japan, and Britain among others have advised the regime to cancel the launch. According to AFP, this plan was announced 16 days after North Korea agreed to suspend long-range missile tests in exchange for food aid from the US.

Hillary Clinton referred to the rocket launch as “highly provocative” saying that: “Such a missile launch would pose a threat to regional security and would also be inconsistent with North Korea’s recent undertaking to refrain from long-range missile launches.” South Korea also criticized the announcement as a “grave provocation.”

AFP also reported that a Unha-3 rocket will be launching the Kwangmyongsong-3, a home-built polar-orbiting earth observation satellite towards the south from a new location at Tongchang-ri on the northwestern side of the country. Foreign observers and journalists have been invited to attend the launch. ”The peaceful development and use of space is a universally recognized legitimate right of a sovereign state” the North’s state KCNA news agency said.

Some experts say that this missile test is projected to enhance the standing of the North’s new young leader, while others say it is to threaten “regional security to leverage concessions, from the United States in particular.”

“The launch will take place. Nobody is really going to do anything, because there’s nothing you can do. It’s not like China is going support more sanctions at the U.N. It really puts the US in an awkward position; whichever way it breaks out for the North, they can spin this as a win for Kim Jong-un and the regime.” — Daniel Pinkston, an expert on North Korea with the International Crisis Group in Seoul

In April 2009, North Korea led a similar missile launch, which was viewed by the west as “a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting North Korea from engaging in nuclear and ballistic missile activity,” and consequently resulted in more U.N. censorship. According to Al Jazeera, that launch failed, as its first stage fell into the Japanese sea without a satellite orbiting. A similar example is the 1998 launch.

“The launch reflects the North’s desire to take the upper hand in negotiations with Washington and extract more concessions” Kim Yong-Hyun, a professor at Seoul’s Dongguk University said.

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