The article said that on Dec. 12 the north succeeded in launching the satellite at a lightning speed, getting the south Korean military, the U.S. and Japan perplexed.

The article noted: The news struck the back of the heads of the military authorities busy making accusations against the north. Feeling ashamed, they frankly admitted that "it was difficult to detect the satellite lift-off pronto despite a round-the-clock watch.

Judging from the fact that the U.S. and Japan, too, failed to notice any sign of the north's satellite launch, what the military admitted was by no means wrong and, in the long run, it amounts to admitting that the missile defense system is very faulty.