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Sources in S Korea are claiming that N Korea is preparing to launch a new, long range rocket. A launch would almost certainly be viewed by the international community as a disguised ballistic missile test and result in the imposition of fresh sanctions. It is thought that the launch might take place on Oct 10 which would mark the 70th anniversary of the Workers' Party
According to the Yonhap [News Agency] source, North Korea has completed work on an extended 67-metre (220-foot) gantry capable of handling a rocket twice the size of the 30-metre Unha-3 rocket launched in December, 2012.
The Unha-3 launch was widely condemned overseas as a ballistic missile test and triggered additional UN sanctions.
North Korea, which insisted the launch was purely scientific in nature, responded three months later by conducting [its] third nuclear test—the most powerful to date.
North Korea is banned under UN Security Council resolutions from carrying out any launch using ballistic missile technology, although repeated small-range missile tests have gone unpunished.
The upgrading of facilities at the Sohae launch centre have been closely monitored by satellite imagery analysts at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
In a recent report, the institute estimated that an October 10 launch would be "difficult although not impossible".
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Lagg on Friday July 24 2015, @12:02AM
But on the other hand you have to wonder if NK would actually aim for Seoul instead of just the DMZ and maintain a bit of plausible deniability. They can't be so stupid as to bring the publicly-approved wrath of most first world countries down on their head. I would imagine that they'd at least only try to hit the DMZ with a "miscalculated" payload that takes out the edge of Seoul than just battering it. Also I think the way SK reacts to news can be explained well enough. If they were to give it the response it deserved it would just lead to NK twisting it into more propaganda and saying "Look at these things they're saying about our glorious leader's intentions in that nuke test! The pigs!". I imagine worldwide PR also plays a role in it since let's be honest, koreans all look like koreans. They don't want to damage the narrative so it isn't a clear bad guy. This is why the US government and the Soviets were sad when the iron curtain fell. So hard to maintain a narrative when it's not an unambiguous common enemy. It makes things complex.
http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
(Score: 3, Funny) by arslan on Friday July 24 2015, @03:36AM
.. except with their pedigree, aiming for the DMZ might actually mean hitting Seoul....