Pyongyang makes no effort to deny the impending test, and it verbally blasts anyone who wants to deny the country its sovereign right to develop advanced rocket technology. It was also the primary topic of discussion when U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen visited Seoul last week and talked about the possible actions that the two countries could take if and when Pyongyang lets loose. Under the surface unity, however, the major players see North Korea's missile program in different terms. The U.S. views it partly as a threat to its own security. The Taepo-Dong 2 is believed capable of flying about 4,000 km, putting in range parts of the state of Alaska.
Japan views the missile unambiguously.
The Taepo-Dong 1 that North Korea tested one year ago flew over Japanese airspace and put every part of the country within range. The Korean missile program is now driving Japanese defense planning. Successive defense White Papers have painted the threat in ever more dire terms. South Korea sees things differently. The current generation of long-range missiles overshoot South Korea and thus do not constitute an increased danger.