Japan to beef up its military and face down the North Korean threat

North Korea has given international agencies notice of the rocket's planned trajectory that would take it over Japan, dropping booster stages to its east and west. North Korea will fire off either a Taepodong-2 intermediate-range ballistic missile or the Paektusan-2 space-launch vehicle. The U.S. and allies Japan and South Korea have issued warnings--some of them firm--to Pyongyang not to do so.




South Korea, Japan and the United States have all said they want to press for more sanctions against the North for a launch and see no difference between a satellite launch and a missile launch because they use the same rocket -- the Taepodong-2. The first and only time the North test-launched the Taepodong-2 in 2006, it fizzled shortly into flight and blew apart after about 40 seconds.

"Even though the North Koreans have made a public declaration that this is a space launch, it would be in violation of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718," said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell. "Therefore, we would, of course, oppose it."

He declined to say if the United States would take military action if the missile was launched. TOKYO - Defying threats of sanctions and U.S. urgings, North Korea fired a missile over Japan Sunday, claiming it was a bid to put a satellite into space. Unconvinced, Japan says it will seek United Nations action against the regime and, it insists, may impose its own sanctions on the Stalinist state as detente in East Asia nears collapse.

North Korea warned international maritime authorities last month of the planned firing; subsequent demands by Japan and the U.S. that North Korea stand down failed to deter Kim Jong Il’s regime from the countdown. The imminent launch putt Japan on tenterhooks. Red-faced officials in Tokyo had to apologize Saturday after mistakenly claiming North Korean had launched its missile.