North Korea's Kim Jong-Un orders development of bigger rockets

Following North Korea's successful launch of the Unha-3 rocket on 12 December, leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered the development of bigger rockets, despite international sanctions.

North Korea's leader threw a lavish banquet in honour of the scientists involved in the December rocket launch. Naharnet reported the official Korean Central News Agency reported Kim said: "You should develop and launch a variety of more working satellites, including communications satellite, and carrier rockets of bigger capacity." He added "The launch... was a grand declaration that demonstrated the DPRK's independent and legitimate right to use space for peaceful purposes before the world." Kim praised the successful rocket launch by saying it "made a great contribution in unprecedentedly enhancing our Republic's international standards and influence." A South Korean defence ministry official has revealed that through analysing samples of rocket debris salvaged from the Unha-3 rocket "we judged North Korea had secured a range of more than 10,000km in case the warhead is 500-600kg" the BBC reported.