While the rest of the world had its eyes focussed on North Korea’s rocket launch, Koreans themselves were more pre-occupied on the latest developments in the Suwon Torso Murder Incident, Saenuri Party’s victory in the parliamentary elections, and just the day before, on the the plumpness of Kim Jong-un’s cheeks, which attracted over 1300 comments within 10 hours on one article alone.
As the 13th day of April drew to an end on the peninsula, not only did the rocket launch fail to enter orbit, it also failed to make the top twenty of the most commented stories on Nate, one of Korea’s biggest portal websites. With a mere 320 comments, netizens shunned the spectacle world media outlet made it out to be – showing complete disinterest.
Reports from western news websites attracted thousands of comments, indicating that foreign netizens were more vocal that their Korean counterparts. Even the Chinese had a mouthful of things to say, as covered by our sister site chinaSMACK. This might be out of frustration that North Korea is only interested in talking to the US – developing a sense of apathy and indifference, especially with the end of the Sunshine Policy, which was the last South Korean domestic policy to truly engage with the North. April 13th was very much business as usual for South Korea.
That said, the launch did make token headlines of all Korean newspapers and evening news programs. For those who did express interest, many were quick to slate the extraordinary costs involved, questioning the reasons for ever helping their northern neighbors in the first place.
From Daum:
North Korean rocket “disintegrated into several pieces”
The North Korean rocket carrying the Kwangmyung-ho 3 was broken apart soon after the launch, it was confirmed.
The Ministry of Defence spokesperson Kim Min-seok said “the rocket appeared to have broken up to pieces within minutes after the take-off”.
Kim added that intelligence agencies in both South Korea and the United States are evaluating the missile launch as a failure but will present an analysis of whether or not it was successful.
The Ministry earlier made an official announcement about the rocket launch from Dongchang-ri launch site at 7:39 A.M.
According to the official, the long-range rocket appeared to have crashed into the Yellow Sea.
Having failed to reach the second stage, the long-range rocket disintegrated into several pieces near the vicinity of the Gunsan coast.
Immediately after the launch, the aegis vessels deployed in the Yellow Sea tracked the rocket trajectory and are on the way to collect the debris.
The American and South Korean joint intelligence agencies are already analysing the cause for failure and trying to pinpoint the exact crash location as some intelligence suggests it may have fallen into the sea near the Pyungan province.
The South Korean government has issued an evacuation order immediately after the launch to the Baengnyeong Island residents for fear of debris.
North Korea is expected to make an announcement regarding the rocket launch soon.
The expert expects North Korea to exaggerate the success of the mission rather than acknowledge the failure.
Comments from Daum:
그 하늘빛남자:
North Korean rocket fail = Skate having a menboon ke ke ke ke ke ke ke ke ke
앙마:
Sigh, why are all the DAUM comments so rubbish?? Is there anyone but commies and Japanese imperialists suck-ups?? The young and the old are exactly the same~ Why must you turn only left or right.. –;; Let’s try to go straight, straight guys.. what’s the matter with you guys…
희망무:
I saw this one coming… So SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
현실은냉정:
The result of 10 years of free give-aways
ㅋㅋ:
Launch cost, 800 million dollars. Launch site construction 400 million dollars. Rocket construction 300 million dollars. Researchers, over 10 000. That was a great firework guys, morons, hahahahahahaha
낮은자:
Launch failure; those in charge all expect execution?
이즈:
The pro-North commies must be sad ke ke
k12210:
The money all wasted… they should have spent that money feeding the starving people, tsk tsk… politicians (?) are problem everywhere!
동네체인점먹사:
With Kim Jong-il dead, they can’t even do that right ke ke
프로필:
The North Korean people may be our nation, but their leadership is our enemy. So, don’t you go on about how their nuclear development and missiles are all fine.
뇌수술전문의:
A year worth of the food for people in North Korea all in the air. The pro-North Korean commies, give your dollars away to North Korea, you morons.
새희망 새출발:
What’s up Japan? Thought you guys were trying to shoot it down? So disappointed…
