Text fwd: N. Korea continues its solitary celebration of a “successful satellite launch”

* Image source/ caption*

Same as the article below:
'North Korean employees working on the banks of the Yalu River in the North Korean city of Hyesan, which borders China‘s Changbai county, April 6. North Korea fired a long-range rocket over Japan on Sunday.'

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_northkorea/348428.html
N. Korea continues its solitary celebration of a “successful satellite launch”: N. Korea prepares for Kim Jong-il’s third term, while U.S. reports satellite launch failure Posted on : Apr.7,2009 11:30 KST Modified on : Apr.7,2009 12:31 KST

When asked about the launch by reporters while heading to his New York mission office Sunday, local time, Shin Son-ho, North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations, said, “We are happy. Very, very successful. You should congratulate us.”　North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Monday that Kim Jong-il expressed “great satisfaction” after watching the entire launch process Sunday. Other North Korean television stations and newspapers continued broadcasts about a “successful satellite launch” into Monday.

Sources say that2

Experts are saying that North Korea’s claims of success are motivated by domestic political concerns. Kim Yeon-cheol, Director of Hankyoreh Peace Research Institute, said that such concerns include “demonstrating the legitimacy of the system ahead of the launching of Kim Jong-il’s third term at the first meeting of the 12th Supreme People‘s Council on Thursday, and inspiring hope towards the building of a ‘strong and prosperous nation’ by 2012.” North Korean media have directly linked the satellite launch to building internal unity, for example announcing that “the success of this satellite launch greatly inspires our people during a turbulent time” and is an act of “throwing open the doors.”

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]
© 2006 The Hankyoreh Media Company.