Rival parties strongly condemn N.K. rocket launch

The ruling and main opposition parties strongly condemned North Korea’s rocket launch as a violation of UN resolutions that threatened peace and heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

“North Korea went ahead and fired a projectile southward in defiance of warnings from the international community,’’ Rep. Yoo Sang-bum said.

Sang-bum is the spokesman of the ruling People Power Party and he warned that the launch would turn out to be Pyongyang’s worst move.

“Moreover, this provocation, violates UN Security Council resolutions banning launches using ballistic missile technology.

“Says, it is an act of grave threat to peace and stability around the Korean Peninsula in that it was fired southward,’’ he said.

Earlier in the day, the North fired what it claimed to be a satellite-carrying space rocket.

But the launch ended in failure, with the rocket falling into the Yellow Sea after an abnormal flight.

The North said it would try again as soon as possible.

Rep. Lee Jae-Myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), also denounced the launch.

“This is a clear violation of UN resolutions and an act that does all harm and no good. I strongly condemn it,’’ Lee said.

Lee also urged the North to abide by UN resolutions.

He also criticised the government over an erroneous emergency alert sent out to people in Seoul.

Shortly after the North’s launch, the Seoul city government sent out an alert advising people to prepare for evacuation.

But the interior ministry later retracted the alert, saying it was sent by mistake.

The DP also raised questions about whether President Yoon Suk Yeol responded properly to the launch.

“An emergency standing committee meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) was held in a confusing situation, such as Seoul city sending an emergency disaster alert.

President Yoon did not attend it, Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, a DP spokesperson, said.

“Where was the president, who was supposed to take care of people’s anxiety and confusion’’ he asked.

“What was the unavoidable reason that President Yoon was not able to preside over an emergency NSC meeting?.

The presidential office said Yoon was briefed immediately after the North’s launch and had since been updated on the situation in real-time.

(NAN)