Mick Hartley

Oh dear:

North Korea has fired an "unknown projectile" which appeared to fail immediately after launch, South Korea's military said.

The suspected missile was fired from an airfield outside the capital Pyongyang.

The airfield has been the site of several launches, including previous tests of what were the US alleges were intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

It comes as North Korea has in recent weeks stepped up its weapons testing.

"North Korea fired an unknown projectile from the Sunan area around 09:30 today, but it is presumed that it failed immediately after launch," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

Specialist news site NK News cited witnesses as saying loud "blowing" sounds, similar to that of a large aircraft, were audible in Pyongyang, followed by a loud "crash". It added that it had seen an image showing a red-tinted ball of smoke in the sky above the capital.

Speaking to NK News, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Ankit Panda said this image was consistent with that of a "catastrophic failure". He added that "reddish-orange smoke" is associated with liquid fuel – something that is "very toxic" to humans.

Not to worry. Problems on the technological front, but it's full steam ahead with the battle against “anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior”:

North Korean authorities have recently upped their war on “anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior” using the so-called “Unified Command 82.”

This suggests that the authorities have once again underscored their will to watch for and punish all sorts of behavior that runs counter to the regime. The North Korean government considers “anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior” to refer to importing and watching foreign films and TV, smuggling, and using Chinese-made mobile phones, among other infractions.

Daily NK recently obtained a Central Committee order issued early last month to regional branches of Unified Command 82 calling for a “war of extermination” to bring “anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior” to an end.

Ahead of this, Daily NK reported that the Third Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee ordered in June that the “unified command against anti-socialism and non-socialism” be renamed “Unified Command 82,” further instructing the unified command to intensify its “war of extermination” on violent crime, drugs, superstition, and “impure publications.”

This year’s focus on combatting “anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior,” coming after last year’s campaign, suggests the authorities intend to strictly move against preventing people exposed to information from overseas, including South Korean pop culture, from “parting ways” with the regime.

The order is apparently also an admission that the authorities have failed to improve the “ideological health” of the people, despite waging operations with such martial names as “war of extermination” and “mop up operations.” 

In fact, the order calls on the unified command to root out and punish criminals “causing fear and insecurity among the people.” The authorities have essentially switched to an approach favoring threats over inducements.

It is also worth noting that the order calls for the formation of “unified strike teams” composed of police, security personnel, prosecutors, and court officials in regions where there is “rampant anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior.”

These teams could include armed personnel and legal officials when necessary.

“Unified Command 82.” Good name. Has a nice Nazi feel to it.