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Obama: DPRK launch threatens nations near, far

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-04-05 16:52

US President Barack Obama (R) and Czech Republic's President Vaclav Klaus gesture during the official welcoming ceremony at Prague Castle April 5, 2009. [Agencies]

PRAGUE -- US President Barack Obama, pushing plans to rid the world of nuclear arms, said Sunday that Pyongyang's launch of a long-range rocket underscores the urgency of his weapons agenda.

The president said the action by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) threatens the security of nations "near and far."

Obama was planning to address the mounting international crisis during a speech he was already planning on nuclear proliferation. He is the midst of an eight-day trip through five countries in Europe.

DPRK launched the rocket at 11:30 am (0230 GMT) Sunday.

Obama says he was awakened for the news.

He has identified the rocket as a Taepo-dong 2 missile, a three-stage rocket with potential range of more than 4,100 miles (6,595 kilometers).

DPRK says this and all Taepo-dong missiles are space-launch vehicles for satellites.

But the US, South Korea and Japan suspect it is a cover for testing a long-range missile for the country, which has nuclear weapons. Leaders from those countries had warned Pyongyang not to proceed with the planned rocket launch.

They fear such a test could be a first step toward putting a nuclear warhead on a missile capable of reaching Alaska and beyond.

The UN Security Council is meeting in an emergency session on Sunday to deal with the matter.

Obama has called DPRK's latest act a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, which prohibits the country from conducting ballistic missile-related activities of any kind. The Security Council adopted the 2006 resolution five days after the Pyongyang conducted a test of a nuclear weapon.