{"id":187632,"date":"2016-02-06T16:45:26","date_gmt":"2016-02-06T16:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=187632"},"modified":"2016-02-06T16:45:26","modified_gmt":"2016-02-06T16:45:26","slug":"north-korea-advances-satellite-launch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/02\/north-korea-advances-satellite-launch\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korea advances ‘satellite’ launch"},"content":{"rendered":"
North Korea has brought forward the possible date of a controversial “satellite” launch to as early as Sunday, regional governments say.<\/p>\n
The secretive state will launch the satellite-bearing rocket between 7-14 February, the Japanese government has said, according to reports.<\/p>\n
Pyongyang previously said the launch would take place between 8-25 February.<\/p>\n
The planned launch has been condemned by world powers, which say it is a cover for testing a ballistic missile.<\/p>\n
North Korea did not inform international organisations of any other changes in its plan and the rocket’s expected flight path remains the same, said South Korea’s defence ministry.<\/p>\n
The South has warned the North that it will “pay a harsh price” if it goes ahead with its plan to launch the satellite.<\/p>\n
Japan’s defence minister said he had issued an order to shoot down any missile that threatened to fall on Japanese territory.<\/p>\n
South Korean analysts have speculated that the North might do the launch ahead of 16 February, the birthday of the late North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il.<\/p>\n
North Korea has already provoked international criticism this year with a fourth nuclear bomb test on 6 January.<\/p>\n
A launch in the coming weeks would constitute another major violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning the state from carrying out any nuclear or ballistic missile tests.<\/p>\n
The North insists its space programme is purely scientific in nature, but the US, South Korea and even ally China say the rocket launches are aimed at developing an inter-continental ballistic missile capable of striking the US.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
North Korea has brought forward the possible date of a controversial “satellite” launch to as early as Sunday, regional governments say. The secretive state will launch the satellite-bearing rocket between 7-14 February, the Japanese government has said, according to reports. Pyongyang previously said the launch would take place between 8-25 February. The planned launch has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[107],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n