DPRK satellite launch plan triggers world concerns
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E-mail China.org.cn, March 17, 2012
The United States, Russia, South Korea?and the United Nations all voiced their concerns Friday over a satellite launch plan announced by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The U.S. Defense Department warned that the launch of a long-range rocket would violate a series of UN resolutions and considered it as a "destabilizing behavior" to the Asia-Pacific region.
"If, in fact, they do what they are claiming they will do, it is a very clear violation of two United Nations Security Council resolutions and is in violation of their obligations to the international community,"Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
"We continue to operate every day with our South Korean counterparts and we hold firmly to our alliance obligations and to security on the Korean peninsula," said Kirby.
He added that the Defense Department is "very comfortable with the full range of military capabilities we have at our disposal in the Asia Pacific region and in and around the Korean peninsula."
Also on Friday, U.S. State Department said that it is "very hard" for the United States to go forward with its planned food assistance to the DPRK after the latter announced its satellite launch plan.
The DPRK's satellite launch plan "calls into question" whether Pyongyang did so in good faith when it reached an agreement in February with the U.S. on resuming the food aid, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
According to a deal reached between Pyongyang and Washington in Beijing late last month, the United States agreed to provide 240,000 tons of food as aid to the DPRK in exchange for Pyongyang's promise to impose a moratorium on nuclear tests and missile launches, and allow checks by international nuclear inspectors.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton slammed the DPRK's launch plan as "highly provocative," warning that such a launch would pose a threat to regional security and would also be inconsistent with the DPRK's recent undertaking to refrain from long-range missile launches.
Clinton urged the DPRK to "adhere to its international obligations, including all relevant UN Security Council resolutions," adding that Washington is consulting closely with its international partners on the next steps.
Meanwhile, Russia said it was seriously concerned about Pyongyang's rocket launch plan, urging it not to proceed with it.
Russia's foreign ministry called on the DPRK not to oppose itself to the international community, and create additional difficulties for restarting the six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.
Moscow also said the resumption of the long-stalled talks and diplomatic solutions are the only viable option available to both terminate the nuclear problems in the region and to lift the UN sanctions against the country, which is prohibited from conducting launches that use ballistic missile technology.
However, the ministry also said Moscow had never denied the DPRK's sovereign right to pursue peaceful space programs and urged all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint.
The DPRK's neighboring country South Korea also voiced its "serious concern" over the plan, calling it a "grave provocation threatening the peace and security" on the Korean Peninsula as well as Northeast Asia.
The South Korean foreign ministry said it would work closely with related countries, including members of the six-party talks, to urge the DPRK to "immediately stop provocative act and abide by its international obligations."
Also on Friday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he is "seriously concerned" about the DPRK's satellite launch.
In a statement, the UN chief called on Pyongyang to fully comply with the UN resolutions that ban any launch using ballistic missile technology.
Earlier on Friday, the DPRK announced it will launch in mid-April an "earth observation" satellite, or the Kwangmyongsong-3, using a long-range rocket to mark the 100th birthday of its late leader Kim Il Sung.
On April 5, 2009, the DPRK conducted a similar launch, which, according to the country's official KCNA news agency, successfully put a "Kwangmyongsong-2" communications satellite into orbit. But some countries, including South Korea, Russia and the United States, believed the launch was a failure. The launch brought about criticism and tightened sanctions on the DPRK.
The DPRK insists its satellite launches are for peaceful and scientific purposes. The KCNA said in a report on Friday that the upcoming launch would greatly encourage the army and people of the DPRK in the building of a thriving nation and will offer an important occasion of putting the country's technology of space use "for peaceful purposes on a higher stage."
