2 Koreas locked in rocket race

South Korea’s successful delivery of a satellite into orbit, Wednesday, carried by the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) attracted additional attention because it came so soon after a similar attempt by North Korea.

Officials from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute said the Science and Technology Satellite-2C began transmitting beacon signals to a ground station in Norway some 90 minutes after the launch, meaning the satellite was working properly.

This drew comparisons with North Korea’s multistage rocket launch in December, which delivered what the North said was a satellite into orbit. Though Pyongyang claims its Kwangmyongsong-3 is communicating with a control center and airing patriotic songs, it is unclear if it is communicating with the ground, and some say it could be dead.

Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics was quoted as saying that the North’s satellite is not properly angled toward the earth and that no sounds could be heard emanating from it.

Other scientists raised the possibility that it could have been damaged during the launch, been broken into parts or was dummy technology.

The South’s launch comes at a sensitive time as the international community continues to deal with the North and its drive for nuclear weapons.

In this sense, the success draws another sharp contrast with the North when it comes to international reaction regarding the feat.

Though the North says the launch was for scientific purposes and tied its success to a drive to boost state progress in this area, it has earned the impoverished regime a fresh U.N. Security Council resolution.

Pyongyang is now threatening to carry out a third nuclear test, and Seoul and Washington say they will seek significant action as stipulated by the resolution.

Though both Koreas have now joined the small club of nations that have launched a rocket into space, observers say Seoul’s campaign is different in terms of its transparency and adherence to international norms.

Observers say that the South Korean launch is different from that of the North because it is more transparent, clearly focused on civilian applications and doesn’t contravene U.N. sanctions.

Last week, amid a spate of anger over the U.N. resolution, Pyongyang said that its rocket launches and nuclear tests are directed at changing Washington’s “hostile policy” toward it.

Analysts say the North’s launches are carried out for political and military purposes. New leader Kim Jong-un benefited from the December rocket launch.

Some suspect Pyeongyang’s act was partly in response to Seoul’s recent announcement of new missile guidelines agreed with the United States, extending the nation’s range to 800 kilometers from a previous limit of 300 kilometers. The new limit puts all of the North within striking distance. <The Korea Times/Kim Young-jin>