North Korea vows to continue satellite launches

Moscow, April 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti) North Korea will continue satellite launches for peaceful purposes, an official said a week after a failed launch.

"The DPRK's (North Korea) satellites for peaceful purposes will be put into space one after another," said a spokesman for the Korean Committee for Space Technology (KCST) in a statement posted on the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) website.

The statement, however, gave no specific launch date.

"We have a comprehensive state plan for space development including expansion and strengthening of space development institutions as required by latest science and technology and continued launch of working satellites needed for the country's economic development," it said.

The KCST said its scientists have completed a probe into the causes of the launch failure, but the statement gave no specific details.

The Unha-3 rocket -- which North Korea said would put a satellite into orbit, but Western countries described as a cover for a missile technology test -- was launched last Friday to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of late founding leader Kim Il-sung.

The US, South Korea and Japan, who monitored the launch, said the rocket appeared to break apart minutes after blastoff.

The UN Security Council condemned the launch and ordered fresh sanctions.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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