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North Korea Is Looking To Launch A Rocket

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JP Carroll National Security & Foreign Affairs Reporter
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North Korea declared its intentions to launch a satellite into space Tuesday, but the international community has since claimed the communist country actually wants to launch a rocket.

The U.S. military is cooperating with Japanese and South Korean counterparts in preparation for how to best deal with a possible North Korean rocket launch, according to Reuters.

China’s Foreign Minister is pushing for a peaceful resolution, and has made it clear to North Korean officials that he “does not want to see anything happen that could further raise tensions,” according to a Thursday statement quoted by Reuters. China is one of the few, if not the only, allies of the isolated country.

Japan — a country that would greatly suffer the consequences of a North Korean missile test — “has deployed PAC-3 missile batteries in the heart of Tokyo to shoot down any incoming rocket debris,” according to CBS News. South Korea, which is also particularly vulnerable to possible North Korean aggression ,”is reportedly mobilizing two Aegis-equipped destroyers.”

North Korea claims it has the sovereign right to establish a space exploration program, according to Voice of America. However, “many experts say it is a way for the country to develop its nuclear weapons program.”

Since its founding, the country has been ruled by the dynastic dictatorship of the Kim family. Current North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is the third generation Kim family ruler of the communist country, and has been in charge since December 2011 when his father Kim Jong-il died.

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