North Korea Launches Multi-Stage Rocket Over Japan

Japan did not follow through on a threat to shoot the rocket down.

Taepodong 2 multi-stage rocket at left, is shown alongside North Korea's similar weapons. Image: militarypictures.info

(SALEM, Ore.) - Reports from Seoul indicate that a rocket was launched from North Korea, in spite of calls from world leaders to not do so.

The launch has not been confirmed at this time by Pyonyang. The LA Times reports that is was a multi-stage rocket that could possibly be used to deliver nuclear weapons.

Japanese television broadcaster NHK and South Korea's Yonhap news agency broke the news about the launch.

U.S. government sources confirm that the rocket was launched and now the United Nations Security Council will convene in an emergency session on the incident.

The South Korean government regrets the North Korean government's "reckless" rocket launch, a spokesman said.

Fred Lash with the U.S. State Department confirmed that, "We have had a launch. I don't know the type of missile," during a conference call. It is reported that the rocket passed over Japan, and that no debris landed there, with the rocket launchers instead going into the Pacific Ocean.

It was confirmed that Japanese officials did not follow through on threats to shoot down the rocket.

North Korea announced that it planned to put a communications satellite into space, though a number of analysts suggested that the launch would actually be a test of the regime's ability to use the three-stage Taepodong 2 to deliver a warhead.

The rocket launched Sunday is estimated to have a range of more than 4,000 miles. Some analysts say that with a light payload, it could reach the western edge of the United States.