US: NKorea missile launch is ‘provocative act’

South Korean man uses his smartphone to take a television screen reporting a news about North Korea’s rocket launch at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday. AP

WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday condemned North Korea’s successful launch of a long-range rocket, calling it a “highly provocative act” that threatens regional security.

Tuesday’s launch, which caught the world by surprise, apparently placed an object in Earth orbit, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said, but neither the missile nor debris from the launch posed a threat to North America.

The launch directly violated U.N. Security Council resolutions and contravened North Korea’s international obligations, the White House said in a terse statement that labeled the launch “a highly provocative act.”

“This action is yet another example of North Korea’s pattern of irresponsible behavior. The United States remains vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations and fully committed to the security of our allies in the region,” the statement from National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said. “Given this current threat to regional security, the United States will strengthen and increase our close coordination with allies and partners.”

“The international community must work in a concerted fashion to send North Korea a clear message that its violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions have consequences,” Vietor added.

North Korea declared the launch of a rocket and satellite a success early Wednesday local time. Three hours later, the U.S. military confirmed that an object appeared to achieve orbit.

On Saturday, North Korea had widened the dates during which it might conduct the launch of its Unha-3 rocket, citing a technical problem. Washington says the launch is a cover for testing technology for missiles that could be used to strike the United States. The previous four attempts all failed.

“It was a surprise in terms of the timing,” said Bruce Bennett, senior defense analyst with the RAND think tank. “They had talked about postponing for a week. To recover so quickly from technical problems suggests they have gotten good at putting together a missile.”

North Korea has also conducted two nuclear tests since 2006, deepening international concern over its capabilities, although it is not believed to have mastered how to mount a nuclear warhead on a missile.

The U.S., Japan and South Korea last week vowed to seek further U.N. Security Council action if the North conducted a launch. It remained to be seen whether Russia and China, the North’s main ally, would agree to further sanctions. The Security Council planned to hold closed-door consultations Wednesday morning on the North Korean launch, according to the U.N. Mission of Morocco, which holds the rotating council presidency.

Victor Cha, a Korea expert at Georgetown University and a former White House policy director for Asia, said a successful launch was a major national security concern for the United States.

He said there would still be technical hurdles for the North to overcome, particularly in terms of getting a rocket to re-enter the atmosphere, but it would mean that North Korea is able to launch a long-range ballistic missile — the first rival state to the U.S. to do so since the Soviet Union and China.

Rep. Ed Royce, incoming Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the launch showed that new North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had no intention of giving up his nuclear weapons program. Royce also criticized U.S. policy toward Pyongyang, calling it a “long-term failure.”

“The Obama administration’s approach continues to be unimaginative and moribund. We can either take a different approach, or watch as the North Korean threat to the region and the U.S. grows,” Royce said in a statement.