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| Image: Wiki Commons |
By Ankit Panda
The United States and China remain divided on how to respond to North Korean provocations.
Early Sunday morning, North Korea successfully launched its Kwangmyongsong-4 “earth observing satellite from the Sohae satellite launch center, using an Unha launch vehicle. The launch came 31 days after North Korea’s fourth nuclear test, which took place on January 6 and it claimed involved a hydrogen bomb. Though Pyongyang describes its long-range Unha tests as ostensibly for the purpose of delivering earth observation satellites into orbit, a warhead modification could enable these missiles to serve as long-range delivery vehicles for a nuclear device. The Diplomat‘s Shannon Tiezzi has more details on the circumstances surrounding the launch.
Unsurprisingly, the United Nations Security Council convened on Sunday to discuss a response to North Korea’s test, which violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions. South Korean President Park Geun-hye called on the Security Council to “quickly come up with strong sanctions” after the launch. U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice called on “the international community to stand together and demonstrate to North Korea that its reckless actions must have serious consequences.“ Despite the calls from the United States and South Korea, and widespread condemnation from other regional states, including Japan and Russia, the Security Council’s ability to effectively stage a strong and coordinated response to the test is under question.
Read the full story at The Diplomat