NKorea launches rocket, defying world pressure
 

SEOUL, South Korea ? North Korea defiantly carried out a provocative rocket launch Sunday that the U.S., Japan and other nations suspect was a cover for a test of its long-range missile technology.

Liftoff took place at 11:30 a.m. (0230GMT) Sunday from the coastal Musudan-ri launch pad in northeastern North Korea, the South Korean government said. In Washington, the State Department also confirmed the launch.

The rocket flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific Ocean, the Japanese broadcaster NHK said, citing its government.

"Our primary concern is to confirm safety and gather information," Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso told a news conference at his Tokyo office Sunday.

Resisting calls from President Barack Obama, Aso and Hu Jintao of China to call off the launch, North Korea had announced Saturday that preparations were complete to send communications satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 on a multistage rocket bound for the skies over Japan.

Tokyo deployed warships and Patriot missile interceptors off its northern coast to shoot down any debris that the North said might fall over the area.

U.S. and South Korean warships equipped with missile interceptors also plied the waters between the Korean peninsula and Japan to monitor the launch.

Russia, meanwhile, scrambled fighter jets to its Far East in case any debris hits its territory, Russian news reports said.

North Korea pushed ahead with the launch despite mounting international pressure to cancel a liftoff Obama warned Friday would be a "provocative" act.

South Korea, the U.S. and Japan said earlier in the week they would take North Korea to the U.N. Security Council for an act they say is banned under a 2006 resolution barring Pyongyang from ballistic activity.

There is already a thread on this, do you want a timeline pic?

Good for them.

What are we gonna do about it, place more sanctions on them? lol

"Bad, bad, bad North Korea, stop it or we'll tighten the belt even more. We mean it this time."

um is this a sign for another world war againsr N.Korea!!!

exactly... the NK's must think this shit is so funny... like Obama lols @ pakistan's gov't who wanrs him to stop hitting paki targets...

NK and Iran can do whatever they want and all that will ever happen is the world, namely the USA, will say BAD NK/IR!!! Naughty boys! Slap their wrists.. NK/IR may say 'sorry' or not, and then wait till everyone settles down amidst time wasting new 'talks', then do it again.. this will continue until they have what they want then all the opposing forces will be fucked, and NK/IR will be LOLng at them.