Changchun, China — Chosun (North Korea) Central No. 3 Broadcast claimed at 1 P.M. today that this morning’s launch successfully put a satellite into orbit.
A source from North Hamkyung Province said in a telephone interview with Daily NK, “At 1 this afternoon, the No. 3 Broadcast announced, ‘Kwangmyungsung-2, which is a declaration of the achievements of a strong and prosperous state to the whole world, entered its orbit successfully.”
The broadcast said that the time of the launch was 11 A.M.
The Chosun Central No. 3 Broadcast is a cable audio broadcast run by the state, which delivers emergency decrees and several kinds of government orders through cable audio facilities in each factory, farm and house. It broadcasts everyday from 5 A.M. to 2 A.M. the following morning and only via the cable audio system in order to prevent its contents from flowing out to other countries.
Ahead of the announcement, an emergency instruction issued by the General Staff of the People’s Army on April 1, titled “On keeping a Wartime Operational Status” informed the people, “Listen to the No. 3 Broadcast for 24 hours.”
Regarding the report, the source explained, “The authorities anticipated that citizens could not watch television at home because of a decree from Pyongyang issued on March 20 that said, “Focus on supplying electric power to production facilities in factories and collective farms!”
In the meantime, the South Korean government announced that it would take more time to find out whether or not the satellite did indeed go into orbit.
