The launch appears to have been more successful than the last attempt.
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- North Koreans danced in the streets of their capital
Wednesday after the Pyongyang regime successfully fired a long-range
rocket, defying international warnings and taking a big step forward in
its quest to develop a nuclear-tipped missile.
The
rocket launch will enhance the credentials of 20-something leader Kim
Jong Un at home a year after he took power following the death of his
father Kim Jong Il. It is also likely to bring fresh sanctions and other
punishments from the U.S. and its allies, which were quick to condemn
the launch as a test of technology for a missile that could attack the
U.S. mainland. Pyongyang says it was merely a peaceful effort to put a
satellite into orbit.
The White House called it a "highly provocative act that threatens regional security."
Even
China, North Korea's closest ally, expressed "regret" that North Korea
went ahead with the launch "in spite of the extensive concerns of
international community," said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei.
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