The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired off a long-range rocket mounted with a satellite Wednesday, defying expectations that technical problems might delay the mission that drew international attention.
The move comes after the authorities here said the DPRK seems to have removed the three-stage rocket form the launch pad in an apparent attempt to fix technical problems Pyongyang cited when it extended the launch window by one week until Dec. 29.
The first stage of the rocket fell in the Yellow Sea off Byeonsan-bando in South Korea’s North Jeolla Province, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Xinhua