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Kyodo via Reuters
North Koreans attend a rally to celebrate the successful launch of the Unha-3 (Milky Way 3) rocket, which carried the second version of the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite, in Pyongyang on December 14, 2012.
South Korean navy ships have found what appeared to be debris from the rocket launched by North Korea this week. NBCNews.com's Alex Witt reports.
Reuters reports — When North Korea's Kim Jong Un commemorates a year of his rule next week, he will be able to declare he has fulfilled the country's long-held dream of becoming a "space powerhouse".
In a mass parade in Pyongyang on Friday, tens of thousands of soldiers dressed in olive green and standing in serried ranks, as well as bareheaded civilians, celebrated this week's successful rocket launch, hailing Kim's "victory".
"Under the great leadership of Kim Jong Un, we are carrying out a sacred task towards our last victory so as to build strong and prosperous nation," Kim Ki Nam, a politburo member from the Workers Party of Korea, told the applauding and cheering crowds that turned out in freezing temperatures. Read the full story.
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KCNA via Reuters
Kim Jong-Un smokes a cigarette at the General Satellite Control and Command Center after the launch of the Unha-3 (Milky Way 3) rocket in Cholsan county, North Pyongan province on December 12, 2012.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Photo released by the state-run North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 14.
KCNA via EPA
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un celebrating with staff members at the Pyongyang General Satellite Control Command Center after the successful launch of the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite on December 12, 2012.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Photo released by the state-run North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 14.
Kyodo via Reuters
North Korean soldiers attend a rally to celebrate the successful launch of the rocket, in Pyongyang on December 14, 2012.
Jon Chol Jin / AP
North Korean military band members perform during a mass rally organized to celebrate the success of a rocket launch at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on Dec. 14, 2012.
Kyodo via Reuters
North Koreans applaud in front of portraits of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung (L) and late leader Kim Jong-il as they gather at a rally in Pyongyang on December 14, 2012.
See more images related to North Korea on PhotoBlog
Leave a Comment:
They all look so HAPPY in the pictures. I guess when it's "Celebrate or Die," then that's the face you get.
"Thousands rally to celebrate North Korea rocket launch."
Too bad they were not told the end results was still another miserable failure!
Looking at the top pic;
At first glance, I thought I was looking at a bowl of Cheerios...
At second glance, they all look the same...
At third glance, there are no blonde's... Bummer...
They say "Space Powerhouse"! Heh heh. Really?!
Next they're going to strap a guy on a rocket in a wicker chair, shoot him off and say now they are a "Space Astronaut".... Not even knowing where the hell the guy went!
Have you seen Kim Cow Yung?!
No! Last thing I heard was FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!
Man this is the worse "Where's Waldo" picture ever...WHERE THE HELL IS HE? I CAN'T FIND HIM!!!!
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, now we are a space powerhouse, we have a 55 gallon barrel in orbit, or is that the space between the ears?
lol
Yeah, and the barrel was left over from the Korean War! Sanctions and all, makes it hard to get new ones.
Lol zapper45701 I was thinking the same thing!!
creepy to the max.....
You will clap, or we have ways of making you!
What a bunch of brainwashed dolts!
Stevo711 you'll need to get your head out of your ass and show a little respect for people who have NO F..ING CHOICE but to pretend to be "happy" or their entire family is sent to forced labor camps. You should thank God on your knees you live in a democratic country, because if you were part of the unlucky born in North Korea, you too would be the "brainwash dolt" you just called them. Have pity on them you ungrateful jerk.
Inbreeding?
I did notice that most of the young women in uniform do not have that happy look.
1984 is a reality for North Korea.
this is scary.. like 5 y/o playing with a pistol.
It is very obvious that this 'celebration' was not spontaneous. Everyone was ordered to go 'celebrate or die' so the NK regime could congratulate itself on accomplishing something even India had done 50 years ago.
It is interesting to note that the crowd must have taken hours and hours to get in place for the photographs. It is apparent that NK does not expect to have to fend off any attacks during such 'celebrations', nor could it efficiently man their military posts expediently, should they need to. Nobody could move in that mass of humanity to go any direction.
ya now so what. what do they need anything like that for. just wasted a lot of money that could have went to feed the starving people in north Korea. dam fools lead by a little kid that don't know @!$%#. he don't even know enough to quit smoking cigarettes.
How much would a large bottle rocket cost?
Hmm lets see here: America is a sovereign nation can launch missiles around the world without impunity.
North Korea, ALSO a sovereign nation, but can't launch test missiles? North Korea has how many nukes? 1 or 2 maybe? We don't know. And they are the biggest threat to who? America? China? Russia? The South? Please, they are protecting themselves from big badass America.. 5100 nukes is a bigger threat. But hey I'm pragmatic.. If we can, why can't they????
How many nukes does America have? 5100+ (Russia has the same amount of nukes as America) Hmm makes a lot of sense that WE can test fire missiles in the South Pacific, and from White Sands in New Mexico, etc..
America has bigger fish to fry. Let the world deal with the North. if they want to test fire a missile, so be it. If it hits something, then deal with it. Until then leave them to their own devices. Literally and figuratively. America needs to focus on OUR homeland.
Not saying, just saying.
Well I guess those in power can crack a smile. Maybe a glimmer of hope?
The military penguin crowds don't look too happy though. Probably thinking: "great, more rocket fuel, less food and then Porky Pig will send us to get killed for his glory."
North America is a VERY big target. I am sure this rocket/missile could have hit it...somewhere. That is what this is about you know, and with that in mind, they WERE successful. Just sayin'.
I have a feeling that in the not too distant future all of this is not going to be so funny.
What a very sad country to live in.He is such a spoiled and evil young man.