The U.S., South Korea, and Japan expressed alarm Sunday after North Korea launched a Taepodong-2 rocket, with a range of more than 2260 miles. North Korea’s state-run media denied the charge, insisting that it merely launched a satellite to broadcast nationalistic songs. Click here to listen.
U.S. President Barack Obama condemned North Korea and appealed for a nuclear-free world. The U.N., for its part, failed to unanimously condemn North Korea. However, even if a condemnation was issued, tough talk has not stopped Pyongyang from proliferating or from providing others with deadly weapons. Last February, North Korea helped Iran launch the medium-range Nodong ballistic missile.
Bar-Ilan University professor Eytan Gilboa notes that the world is watching Obama’s response to North Korea’s missile launch. His failure to adequately confront this challenge has likely emboldened Iran to continue its nuclear ambitions.
