North Korea to Mount Satellite for Rocket Launch

North Korea to Mount Satellite for Rocket Launch
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Reprinted with permission from the BBC (bbc.co.uk)

Pre-Reading Questions: Keep a look out for these details when reading! Then, after you’ve read, fill in the answers

How have North Korean officials responded to claims that this is just an excuse to develop missile technology?
What is the proposed purpose of this attached satellite?
Why are other countries opposed to this (particularly America and North Korea’s neighbors)?
What happened in February that makes this decision come as something of a surprise?
When will the missile launch occur and what is the significance of this date?
1. Between April 16th and April 22nd; to correspond with the 100th anniversary of Kim Il-Sung’s birth.
2. Between April 10th and April 15th; to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War’s end.
3. Between April 12th and April 16th; to correspond with the 100th anniversary of Kim Il- Sung’s birth.
4. Between April 12th and April 16th; to correspond with the 60th anniversary of the Korean War’s end.
What was Russia’s reaction to this announcement?
1. They remained calm, urging all other countries to do so as well.
2. They turned violent, threatening economic sanctions if North Korea did not back down.
3. They were skeptical but urged a calm, diplomatic approach to handling this situation
4. They encouraged America and other nations to impose an embargo on North Korea
What do South Korea and America feel about this decision?
1. They both regard it as a serious breach of diplomatic decorum and see the launch as a “serious provocation”
2. They remain cautious but have called on other parties to “stay calm, exercise restraint and not escalate problems on the Korean peninsula.”
3. They have warned that they will “shoot down” the rockets if they are launched
4. Neither country has commented on these actions yet; they are both waiting for more information.
How has this action affected private companies?
1. Many shipping companies have had to cancel shipments to North Korea to correspond to their countries’ political actions.
2. Tourism to North Korea has stopped completely
3. Oil prices have increased greatly around the world.
4. Airlines have rescheduled or rearranged their flights for that day to avoid flying in the missile launch areas.
Why is it unlikely that North Korea will cancel their launch plans?
1. The missiles are already arranged at the Sohae satellite station
2. They do not want to back down and appear weak to foreign interests
3. They already launched one set of missiles this year with no consequences
4. They are a renegade state that does not care about political consequences
Vocabulary: Define the following words.

mount
contravenes
imposed
provocation
commemorate