This should be no surprise. Whether the can actually fully develop the capabilities, this definitely is in line with the intent of the Kim Family Regime. I am also amused by analysts who assess that it is was only a satellite launch and that a satellite launch does not equal an ICBM capability. That may be true from a rocket science stand point but I would guess that this last launch has moved their ICBM program forward another step.
V/R
Dave
Evidence Shows Military Purpose in North Korean Rocket, Seoul Says
Published: December 23, 2012
SEOUL — South Korean technicians scrutinizing the debris of the North Korean rocket launched earlier this month have found evidence suggesting the rocket’s military purposes and the North’s technological ties with Iran in its efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, South Korean officials said Sunday.
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North Korea insists that its Unha-3 rocket, launched Dec. 12 to put an earth-observation satellite in orbit, was part of its peaceful space program. But intelligence officials and rocket scientists affiliated with the South Korean Defense Ministry said Sunday that through the rocket launching, which they said marked an advance for Pyongyang, North Korea was testing a ballistic missile that can fly more than 10,000 kilometers, or more than 6,000 miles, with a warhead of 500 to 600 kilograms, or about 1,100 to 1,300 pounds, putting the United States West Coast in range.
They spoke to the media after analyzing the rocket’s flight data and the debris of its oxidizer tank, which they recovered in waters off South Korea two days after the rocket launching. Over the weekend, the South Korean Navy also salvaged the remnants of the rocket’s fuel tank and part of its engine, which officials hoped would provide more clues to the North’s rocket technology.
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