Embarrassed by rocket crash, North Korea may try nuclear test

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - North Korea said its much hyped long-range rocket launch failed on Friday, in a very rare and embarrassing public admission of failure by the hermit state and a blow for its new young leader who faces international outrage over the attempt.

The isolated North, using the launch to celebrate the 100th birthday of the dead founding president Kim Il-sung and to mark the rise to power of his grandson Kim Jong-un, is now widely expected to press ahead with its third nuclear test to show its military strength.

"The possibility of an additional long-range rocket launch or a nuclear test, as well as a military provocation to strengthen internal solidarity is very high," a senior South Korean defence ministry official told a parliamentary hearing.



Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/04/14/uk-north-korea-rocket-idUKBRE83B1OS20120414

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Warships search for NKorea rocket debris.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korean warships scoured the Yellow Sea on Saturday in search of debris from a failed North Korean rocket launch that has heightened tensions in the region and brought international condemnation on the country's new leader amid a week of lavish celebrations to mark the centenary of the nation's founder.

South Korea's navy has deployed about 10 ships, including a corvette with sonar radar, to search for rocket debris, a Defense Ministry official said Saturday. He refused to provide further details and asked not to be named because the sensitive mission was still under way.

U.S. Navy minesweepers and other ships were also believed to be in the area and were expected to join the search, which could offer evidence of what went wrong and what rocket technology North Korea has. Japan's Defense Ministry said it is not participating in the search because none of the debris is believed to have fallen in Japanese waters.

Japan's vice defense minister, Shu Watanabe, warned the North not to try to block the search, saying in a televised interview that any such effort could heighten military tensions.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_NKOREA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-04-14-03-28-20

[jimlup]

1. It may well fizzle as well

As I recall the initial tests fizzled. Though in a nuclear test a fizzle is still a pretty bad thing. A 20th of a Hiroshima bomb still far exceeds anything conventional.

[Namvet67]

2. or go off in their lab. where's Enrico Fermi when you need him?

Not an easy thing to build....or handle....or set off.

[sendero]

3. Exactly.

... these clowns cannot feed their own people. They need to be playing with nukes like I need to be playing with an aircraft carrier.

[Wilms]

4. And since a "a senior South Korean defence ministry official" said so...

It must be true.

[pampango]

5. Rulers often prefer "toys" (rockets/bombs/ships/planes). People often prefer food. /n/t

[razorman]

6. Knowing the Norks, it will most likely wind up detonating prematurely and killing a bunch

of their own people. Their leaders will probably consider themselves lucky to have fewer mouths to feed.

[graywarrior]

7. It's all so phallic

[chrisa]

9. So you're saying all the rocket would need is some blue pills?

[maddezmom]

8. beyond insane if true

[Proles]

10. They're probably just bored.

There's only so much you can do when you're on a tiny half of a peninsula.

[AtheistCrusader]

21. ...that cannot be seen from space, at night.

[pampango]

11. Or they can do this: BBC: 'Mass show of loyalty' in N Korea

North Korea has staged a mass rally to show support for the country's new leader Kim Jong-un, just a day after a failed rocket launch that provoked international criticism.

The rally formed part of celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of national founder Kim Il-sung.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17712416

Looks like most of the 70,000 in the stadium were military.

[tabasco]

12. What could go wrong? n/t

[pscot]

13. Yeah! If they fuck up a nuclear explosion

we'll really be impressed.

[Comrade Grumpy]

14. I know that's what I do whenever I get embarrassed.

It helps relieve the stress.

[savannah43]

15. Brilliant! What could go wrong?

[usrname]

16. Hey North Korea, if you don't want to be any more of an embarrassment

Why don't you feed your people and make them successful? That'll be a great display of governmental power.

[kayakjohnny]

17. Next week:

Embarrassed by Nuclear Test, North Korea May Show It's Penis In Public

[Psephos]

18. And if THAT doesn't work, then Kim Jong-un's gonna get some REALLY BIG subwoofers for his limo. n/t

[treestar]

19. What friggin' assholes

With their incompetence, someone could get hurt. They could start WWIII.

[rayofreason]

20. I wouldn't want to be a DPRK rocket scientist this week. n/t