White House hopeful Mitt Romney condemned North Korea's failed rocket launch and said it's the "incompetence from the Obama Administration that has emboldened the North Korean regime and undermined the security of the United States and our allies."
In a release late Thursday night, the former Massachusetts Governor blasted the Obama administration's North Korea policy after the reclusive totalitarian state went against international norms and agreements in launching what it called a weather satellite into orbit.
Although the launch failed, the missile breaking apart and falling into the sea, the international community deemed the test a violation of two U.N. Security Council resolutions barring North Korea from testing any technology that could be used to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attempted North Korean missile launch," Romney said in the statement.
"Its weapons program poses a clear and growing threat to the United States, one for which President Obama has no effective response."
Kim Jong-un, North Korea's new leader and son of recently deceased "Fearless Leader" Kim Jong-Il, led the rocket launch initiative. The satellite, a project that cost North Korea $450 million to build, disintegrated after about two minutes in the air.
President Barack Obama publicly warned North Korea not to engage in its rocket launch program, saying after the launch the failed attempt threatened regional security, violated international law and reversed North Korea's recent commitments.
"North Korea is only further isolating itself by engaging in provocative acts, and is wasting its money on weapons and propaganda displays while the North Korean people go hungry," a White House statement said.
The White House further announced it would suspend a plan reached in February to provide the hermit kingdom with food aid, citing the missile launch.
"[The North Koreans] have to understand from us that any agreement would be impossible to move forward with as it relates to food assistance, given the action that they have taken. So there are already consequences as a result of their missile launch," Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes told reporters on-board Air Force One.
"If they continue to take additional provocative actions, we, of course, have to continue to look at ways in which we could tighten sanctions on the North Koreans and take additional steps to apply pressure on the regime."
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