I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
Early admission sounds odd
By Kang Hyun-kyung
North Korea admitted Friday that the rocket it launched in the early morning from the Sohae Space Launching Station in Tongchang-ri on the west coast failed to reach orbit.
The announcement came hours after the Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the Unha-3 launch vehicle carrying the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite disintegrated into some 20 pieces between one and two minutes after launch. The debris fell into the West Sea but caused no damage, according to the defense ministry.
North Korea’s acknowledgement of the failure came as a surprise because in the past it kept tight control over information.
In 1998 and 2009 when the North attempted to put its first and second satellites into orbit on Unha-2 and Unha-3 rockets, respectively, South Korea and the United States claimed the launches failed based on satellite images. But North Korea insisted they were successful and the satellites went into orbit as planned.
Baek Seung-joo, a senior fellow of the National Institute for Defense Analyses in Seoul, said Pyongyang might have concluded that it could no longer keep the failure secret as there exists hard evidence.
“Seoul and Washington gave briefings on the status of the satellite and rocket with detailed information, and the North could have felt pressure to acknowledge it,” he said.
The defense expert also pointed out the different leadership style of Kim Jong-un, who has taken key posts in the military and the communist party, from that of his late father Kim Jong-il.
“On Sunday, the younger Kim took foreign journalists to the west coast site to see the rocket and the satellite in an effort to counter criticism from the international community that the North tried to test a long-range missile,” Baek said. This is unprecedented and could signify that the younger Kim is different from his late father who was in power when the North launched the abortive Kwangmyongsong-2 and 3 satellites, he said.
Although North Korea invited foreign journalists to cover the launch, they were not allowed to view the liftoff live.