North Korea’s ‘failed’ missile test is potential blow for Kim Jong-un

[rooster59]

North Korea’s ‘failed’ missile test is potential blow for Kim Jong-un



A missile launch off the eastern coast of North Korea (DPRK) appears to have ended in failure, according to reports from South Korean and US officials.

It is a potentially embarrassing blow for leader Kim Jong-un ahead of next month’s party congress.

The rocket is believed to have been an intermediate-range Musudan missile. Its launch coincided with the Day of the Sun celebrations to honour the birthday of North Korea’s founding leader, Kim Il-sung.

Jeong Joon-hee, a spokesperson for the South Korean Unification Ministry said:
“In March, Kim Jong-un instructed the military to carry out several additional tests including a missile test. Now, North Korea seems to be trying to split opinions within the international community, showing a strong will to maintain its attitude, not yielding to sanctions which have been imposed and, internally, it also seems that there is an aspect of building the achievements of Kim Jong-un ahead of the party congress.”

The launch is one of several alleged to have taken place so far in 2016, which have triggered the slapping of UN sanctions on the secretive state.

Criticism of the reported missile tests has been loud and following the April launch, even North Korean ally China joined in.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang underlined that the UN Security Council has been very clear about the DPRK firing rockets.

“At present, the situation on the peninsula is complex and sensitive. We hope all parties can strictly respect the decisions of the Security Council and avoid taking any steps that could further worsen tensions.”

Chinese state media Xinhua was more direct, saying the failed launch “marks the latest in a string of sabre-rattling that, if unchecked, will lead the country to nowhere,” the agency said in an English language commentary.

“Nuclear weapons will not make Pyongyang safer. On the contrary, its costly military endeavours will keep on suffocating its economy.”

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-04-16

[JAS21]

Heads might roll ... literally .

[Pimay1]

Heads might roll ... literally .

I was thinking the same thing. I would hate to be working on this project.

[i claudius]

Meanwhile the population starve .

[Srikcir]

Today Kim will start another missile countdown - with a .45 caliber bullet.

There will be no failure.

[klauskunkel]

Today Kim will start another missile countdown - with a .45 caliber bullet.

There will be no failure.

no failure only if the bullet is imported.

[Hayduke]

Won't faze him in the least.

The fat man with the funny haircut has entire government spin agencies that do nothing but create custom made reality.

What may a failure to the real world will never be seen internally....where everything magically becomes yet another resounding victory.

Of course, a few people guilty of 'subjectivism' (or some other ill-defined thought crime) may need to be disappeared from time to time. But it's for a good cause

The guy has a setup any devoted megalomaniac would truly envy.

Makes you wonder...

[blazes]

"potential blow for Kim Jung Un" says the headline.

Potential early retirement to graveyard for the scientists, more like.

[Geoffggi]

I really cannot understand how truly brainwashed the North Korean people are or must be to put up with the repression they are continually subjected to, I'm sorry to have to say the "Weeble" needs to be exterminated !!!!

[TEFLKrabi]

I really cannot understand how truly brainwashed the North Korean people are or must be to put up with the repression they are continually subjected to, I'm sorry to have to say the "Weeble" needs to be exterminated !!!!

For a good insight, get a copy of "The Aquariums of Pyong Yang". It's a very interesting read.

[masuk]

Meanwhile the population starve .

Are you sure? After all, recent photos of 'dear leader' show him to be indecently rotund.

Maybe it's not so communist after all!

[wabothai]

The boy didn't know. The generals had him deliberately push the destruct button, quite a possibility.

Just like the German generals wanted to get rid of Hitler.

May be there is still hope for North Korea.

[Dumbastheycome]

Now what a turn up it would be if China was to over run its "ally" and make it go nowhere. That would create a whole new gambit of diplomatic mayhem. NK would be sedated but China would be invading what is still a disputed piece of territory. One nose picker out of the sand pit but the remainder might just get nastier !

Hmmmmmm.

[Slain]

I wonder if someone had it knocked it out of the sky as soon as it got high enough to hit with a laser.!!

Just guessing?

[quandow]

He kills his failed generals with a rocket launcher to the chest.

[HenryB]

I wonder if someone had it knocked it out of the sky as soon as it got high enough to hit with a laser.!!

Just guessing?

We all know who did it, but are afraid to say

[attento]

Not sure that a failed test means so much. Many countries have had failures when developing missiles. Kim Jong-un will have a way to spin the facts anyway, and the rocket scientists should have learnt as much from a failure as from a success.

There is scant evidence that K J-u terminates the truly indispensable workers, but contents himself with "thinning out" the sycophants and "hangers on" who become surplus to requirements.

[sweatalot]

"potential blow for Kim Jung Un" says the headline.

Potential early retirement to graveyard for the scientists, more like.

this would mean there would be no capable scientists left in the near future

what is fat boy's plan for this?

Edited April 16, 2016 by sweatalot

[landslide]

I wonder if someone had it knocked it out of the sky as soon as it got high enough to hit with a laser.!!

Just guessing?

that

I read (on a news report on Yahoo) that the South Korean Intelligence stated that the missile burned on the launcher. Evidently it did not get very high in the air, if at all.

[Stargeezr]

In North Korea, the term Release the hounds, must be frightening

to the people in a compound where there are hungry dogs being kept nearby.

I have to wonder just how much longer China will only increase its

displeasure upon NK, without some real action against its leader.

The present leader is not very smart, but he sure is lucky so far.

[hawker9000]

Now what a turn up it would be if China was to over run its "ally" and make it go nowhere. That would create a whole new gambit of diplomatic mayhem. NK would be sedated but China would be invading what is still a disputed piece of territory. One nose picker out of the sand pit but the remainder might just get nastier !

Hmmmmmm.

China has no wish to have a failed state for a neighbor. That last thing it needs or wants is hordes of N. Korean refugees streaming across its border. KJU is probably walking a finer & finer line with Beijing, but Beijing's solution, if there is one coming, is hardly going to be an invasion. If KJU can't be reigned in, then maybe something more like a Beijing-engineered, old-style "power shuffle" in Pyongyang, leaving some puppet in place Beijing can live with. N. Korea makes a handy "buffer state" for China, and it would probably like to keep it right where it is. It just doesn't want it to implode.