North Korean soldiers applaud near slogans honoring their leadership during a mass rally organized to celebrate the success of a rocket launch that sent a satellite into space on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. As the U.S. led international condemnation of what it calls a covert test of missile technology, top North Korean officials denied the allegations and maintained the country's right to develop its space program. (Associated Press)