Rocket Fails
North Korea’s much-anticipated rocket launch ended quickly in an embarrassing failure Friday, splintering into pieces over the Yellow Sea soon after takeoff.
Within minutes of the early morning launch, the US and South Korea declared it a failure. North Korea acknowledged that hours later in an announcement broadcast on state TV, saying its satellite hadn’t entered into orbit.
World leaders were swift to denounce the launch, calling it a covert test of missile technology and a flagrant violation of international resolutions prohibiting North Korea from developing its nuclear and missile programs.
