Sydney: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered the development of bigger rockets, after Pyongyang sparked international condemnation with a long-range rocket launch.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim gave the order to scientists, technicians and others involved in this month's launch at a banquet on Friday, reports news.com.au. He said the country should develop and launch a variety of more working satellites, including communications satellite, and carrier rockets of bigger capacity.
Kim had already stressed the need to put more satellites into space two days after the December 12 launch, KCNA reported at the time. North Korea says the launch put a satellite in orbit for peaceful research, but critics say it amounted to a banned ballistic missile test that marked a major advance for the communist state's nuclear weapons program.
It sparked international condemnation, including from the United Nations, although the North's main ally China is said by diplomats to be resisting US-led efforts to order new sanctions against Pyongyang at the UN Security Council. Pyongyang is already under international sanctions for conducting two nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, which both came after long-range rocket launches.
ANI
First Published: Sunday, December 23, 2012, 15:47