North Korea places Taepodong-2 missile on launch pad

Thursday 26th March, 03:22 AM JST

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Shiningfinger at 01:38 PM JST - 26th March

If more people understood how Koreans think then this wouldn't be that hard to figure out. Kim Jung-il is a bad dictator who is starving a failed state. but his regime has goals, they have always had goals. Call it a dream deferred. The last time N.K attacked someone it was trying to unify country under a single govt. Their govt. All of what they have been doing for the past 50+ years was for this same goal. To them the War is not finished. They have over 2000yrs of written history and so 50yrs of a standoff is nothing. The last time they would have won but the U.N. led by U.S. forces defeated them and then the Chinese helped them.

This time they are covering all of their bases. They don't want U.S. interference in the next war. So being "Nuclear" and having Missle technology that reaches U.S. soil will greatly reduce the chances that any U.S. president or congress will sign off on fighting a War with the "crazy" Kim Jung-il cuz who knows he might PUSH that button.

Japan has to sit this one out and hope that a miracle can happen and by miracle I mean that some how the South Koreans could fight off the North. But there is maybe a -2% chance that will happen.
BurakuminDes at 01:52 PM JST - 26th March

It is a pity that Israel is not a close neighbor of Japan.

Thank God they aren't, I for one would be fearful of their war-machine state raining down much heavier and scarier bombs on me than N Korea could hope to! Not to mention the nukes, chemical weapons, disregard for UN conventions and torture that make up the lovely state of Israel.
dennis0bauer at 03:10 PM JST - 26th March

On the TV it said 1st stage would fall near aomori, i hope it will not fall on land here 0__0
Ultrashaman at 03:12 PM JST - 26th March

exactly what NK wants everyone to do. To wonder why NK do these things. well, we are ready. bring it on.

I can't believe the phrase "bring it on" is still being said in regards to any military power. It's not the most responsible approach for international affairs. Remember the backlash Bush caught for saying it? I'm not bashing Bush or trying to steer the conversation that way. I'm just talking about the phrase itself.
adm_kenshin at 03:45 PM JST - 26th March

Personally, I think Japan should shoot it down, but that's only because 1) I wanna see if the anti-ICBM system works. 2) Japan needs to become more assertive so that we're not &/(&ed when the US goes down. Sure, it will have reprecussions, but I hardly think NK would go to war over it.

Hard to believe anyone would utter the words "regime change" with a straight face >anymore. Iraq has been no cake walk and its not even done yet. And here we have >someone in favor of plowing into NK.

Remember that there already is a viable Korean government down south. Still, I am certainly not in favour of US style 'liberation'. Blitzkrieg cause too many civilian casualties, and there is still a chance for a peaceful unification.

Solving the issue is obviously not easy, but many people here think there's only two ways to go: Chamberlain way or 'Liberation. There isn't. There's plenty of room in between those extremist views. Still, I guess they could just try to disintegrate the missile if it fails over Japan, and tell people in Hokkaidou to stay indoors.

On the other hand, NK may be trying to start a war, since Kim Jong Il may think he doesn't have much time left? In that case, he may be expecting the Japanese to shoot it down so he's got a casus belli.
smithinjapan at 03:57 PM JST - 26th March

Now all the bombast and hard-line approaches to NKorea have played exactly into Kim's hands, and we can only sit and wait to see what they launch and if it's successful. Japan is right to be in a panic -- all their threats of sanctions and demands for abductees to be returned is bearing fruit in the form of missile launches. Way to go!

Japan won't try to shoot it down, the biggest reason being that if THEIR technology fails while NKorea's does not (if), they will look all the more impotent and hopeless, and the threat from NKorea more real (especially since they said any attempts to shoot down their 'satellite' would be declaration of war).

It won't result in war -- unless others decide to attack, and the consequences would be the annihilation of Seoul and other parts of the South, and possibly some parts of Japan (if there are shorter range missiles we don't know about). This is just more political posturing.
Gombei424Canada at 05:36 PM JST - 26th March

Well, it really is a sad shame that Japan has PROVOKED North Korea into firing a missile.Of course, they probably had a little help from a certain ex-president from Texas, who was the worst leader EVER, from the get-go. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if said president gave Aso, who is the worst Prime minister ever, personal lessons on how to alienate everyone around you. Fools! I guess they don't know what I have said here more than once and what Ghandi himself ALSO said: violence won't solve ANYTHING! Well, anyway my friends, I am sure that whatever happens Japan will overreact and make matters worse.Of course, I agree with just about everyone that Kim Jong Il really IS a jerk but he is better than bush, at any rate.

Kaenada eeso wassumneeda!
ca1ic0cat at 08:51 PM JST - 26th March

The Japanese haven't provoked anything from NK and have been more than happy to let the USA have the lead agency role in trying to deal with the dear little pipsqueak. If you think Bush was that bad perhaps you should try starving in an NK re-education camp? Your rhetoric is disgusting.

Japan or the US should interrupt this missile test. NK should not be allowed to gather the data necessary to improve this design. It is well in the national interests of the US to not allow NK to possess a missile that can reach the US with a nuke.

We have tried to "hug" the pipsqueak, we have tried to feed his people for him, SK has tried years of "sunshine" policy. Clinton tried engagement, Bush tried coercion. All for nothing. Why? As was said, the dictator's goal is to unify Korea under his corrupt and brutal rule.

It is time for China to end this. They have supported this BS for too long. A Chinese occupation of NK is preferable to allowing Kim Jong "Ill" to continue his misrule. The longer we wait the more damage will be done when the inevitable invasion of SK occurs.
ClassWarUK at 09:47 PM JST - 26th March

Good luck North Korea. Ensure you can repel the US warmongers and show the world you are capable of thwarting them.
PaulieWalnuts at 09:59 PM JST - 26th March

classwar UK your comments are rather crass and rudimentary (peni) oi oi oi. where have all the sensible boot boys gone?
JoeBigs at 10:21 PM JST - 26th March

I for one can not wait for Korea to launch it's missile. I do hope this because it will be the beginning of it's own end.....Crossing fingers that Korea launches......
BihakuRanger at 10:25 PM JST - 26th March

It would be really bad if the missile crashed into Rokkasho mura. Aside from Kim being a maniac who starves his people, I love the glasses. NK wont attack Japan because of the pachinko money that goes by boat from Japan to NK. I read somewhere it is close to half of their GNP. NK attacks and then Japan remembers (conveniently) that gambling is illegal. The boats stop taking money to NK. People think that China is keeping NK in check. Japan has Kim right where they want him. His brinksmanship is impotent at best. Kim presents a much larger threat to his own countrymen. And the boat that takes the money to NK also brought the electronics for the taepodongs from Akihabara. Ooops, guess they should have thought of that one.
adm_kenshin at 01:46 AM JST - 27th March

Tjrandom: Indeed, there is a certain height until which airspace reaches, and if NK did launch over this there would be no problem, except for damaging debris. The Taepodong 2 is proven to be unsafe, thus NK should really make some concessions in this case, if their true wish is to launch a satellite.

Usually when launching over another country it is customary to provide every reassurance possible, especially with an untested potentially dangerous design. NK has had plenty of opportunities to do this, without endangering their 'national security', but haven't. They've only done the bare minimum in order for it not to be an act of outright agression. They've also submitted coordinates of where they think the debris will land, which is always nice.

Still, it is pretty clear that this is a challenge, a provocation. NK is testing how long she can go before there is a reaction. A lost satellite is a cheap way to do this.

Anyone know where the debris is expected to land? NK says Sea of Japan but some say Aomori...
ca1ic0cat at 02:49 AM JST - 27th March

I think Bihaku is on to something here. If the Japanese govt. just stops all commerce with NK then that will be a big blow. No UN sanctions necessary, so the hissy fit about "restarting the nuke activities" (as if they ever really stopped?) can't come into play without more hissy fits. SK didn't do it so no justification for shelling Seoul.

Of course all this requires rational thought by NK so it might be a bit of a stretch. Worth a try though.
Belesarius at 02:56 PM JST - 29th March

Class war are you serious.......sigh...just one day we get to do stuff like china does or russia....you know wipe out whole towns and villages and no one screams evil imperialist..hell if we bomb a village that is supposed to have 400ppl in it and kill 2000 90% of whom have guns later its found out 5 where villagers the US is called evil incarnate.

Notice ppl like class warfare(Please) always use the same tired dogmas and lines?