North Korea fires rocket seen as covert missile test North Korea fires rocket seen as covert missile test North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket. Post to Facebook North Korea fires rocket seen as covert missile test North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 97 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs North Korea fires rocket seen as covert missile test Kirk Spitzer, USA TODAY 11:44 p.m. EST February 6, 2016 In this Oct. 10, 2015, file photo, a drone is paraded in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Photo: AP) 1346 CONNECT TWEET 10 LINKEDIN 97 COMMENTEMAILMORE TOKYO —In another apparent act of defiance of international norms, North Korea fired a long-range missile over Japanese airspace Sunday, bringing quick condemnation from the United States and its allies in the region.

The launch is widely believed to be a test of a new missile system that could reach as far as the United States, and comes only weeks after North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear weapons test. Both are banned by U.N. resolutions. North Korean state television said in a special broadcast Sunday that it had placed an observation satellite into orbit. However, U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii said it had “detected and tracked today what we assess was a North Korean missile.” Secretary of State John Kerry called Sunday's test "a major provocation" that threatens the security of the region and the United States and said the U.S. would work with members of the U.N. Security Council on "significant measures" to hold North Korea to account for the launch. National Security Adviser Susan Rice condemned the test in a statement, saying it "represents yet another destabilizing and provocative action” and “a serious threat to our interests.” Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch was “intolerable” and a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Abe had directed the government to consider expanding current sanctions against North Korea. U.S.

forces tracked the missile and at no time did it pose a threat to the United States or its allies, Pacific Command said in a statement Sunday. North Korean television said the launch was ordered by leader Kim Jong Un and that the country would continue to launch satellites in the future. Japan’s Ministry of Defense said the launch took place at 9:31 a.m. local time. It said the missile separated into five segments before passing over Japan’s southwest island chain, with the final segment landing the western Pacific Ocean about 1,242 miles south of the island of Okinawa. Japan had deployed Patriot anti-ballistic missile systems and three warships equipped for missile defenses prior to the test but did not attempt to shoot down the missile or debris on Sunday, according to the defense ministry. It is the first test of long-range missile technology by North Korea since December 2012. Under U.N. Security Council resolutions, the country is banned from testing long-range missiles or nuclear weapons. Japan’s Kyodo News Service reported that China had expressed “regret” over the launch. Abe ordered his government to quickly analyze the launch and provide information to the nation. North Korea tested what it said was a hydrogen bomb in early January.

International governments worry nuclear tests and long-range missile launches signal Pyongyang is getting closer to creating a nuclear warhead small enough to fit on an intercontinental missile capable of reaching targets as far away as the U.S. West Coast. "We absolutely cannot allow this," Abe told reporters at the prime minister's residence, according to The Associated Press. "We will take action to totally protect the safety and well-being of our people." The United States, Japan and South Korea immediately requested an emergency meeting of the UN security council to discuss the launch, council diplomats told Reuters. The meeting was likely to take place on Sunday in New York. The North's move came less than a day after the reclusive nation moved up the window for its planned launch to Feb. 7-14 from Feb. 8-25. No reason was given for the change. While the North claims such efforts are a benign attempt to develop the capability for putting satellites into space, outside governments say it is a cover for testing ballistic missiles. That move constitutes yet another major violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning Pyongyang from carrying out any nuclear or ballistic missile tests. Recent commercial satellite imagery analyzed by U.S.

researchers showed tanker trucks at the launch pad at North Korea's Sohae facility, which likely indicates the filling of fuel and oxidizer tanks in preparation for the launch, The Associated Press reported. North Korea tested nuclear explosive devices in 2006, 2009 and 2013, and claimed it successfully delivered a satellite into orbit in December 2012, the last time it launched a long-range rocket. South Korean analysts speculated the secretive North Korean leadership, which is sensitive to symbolic gestures, was trying to pull off the launch ahead of Feb. 16, the birthday of late dictator Kim Jong Il, the father of current leader Kim Jong Un. Ahead of the launch, the South Korean defense ministry said Seoul and the U.S. deployed key military assets, including the South's Aegis-equipped destroyers and radar spy planes, to track the North Korean rocket after its launch. The U.S. stations more than 28,000 troops in the South as a buttress against North Korean aggression.

On Friday, President Obama spoke by phone with President Xi Jinping of China, North Korea's only major ally, and the two sides agreed a launch would represent a "provocative and destabilizing action," the White House said. The two leaders said they would coordinate their responses to Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and would not accept North Korea as a nuclear weapon state. "The leaders emphasized the importance of a strong and united international response to North Korea's provocations, including through an impactful U.N. Security Council Resolution," the White House said. China, however, is unlikely to join any call by the U.S. and South Korea to tighten sanctions against North Korea. Beijing worries a strong economic move against North Korea might provoke a regime collapse and send refugees streaming across the border, analysts say. China is responsible for about 70% of the North's trade volume, according to South Korean estimates. " Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. A traffic police officer directs traffic on a road in Pyongyang Dec. 2, 2016 Believed to be hand-picked for their looks, Pyongyang's female traffic police are a familiar sight at intersections around the capital, where traffic volumes have noticeably increased in recent years.

Ed Jones, AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-Un at Fishery Station No. 15 of the Korean People's Army unit 549 Dec. 15, 2016. Korean Central News Agency via AFP/Getty Images Baek Hyun-kyung is a tour guide at the Three Charters of National Reunification Monument where she works on the outskirts of Pyongyang Dec. 2, 2016. Ed Jones, AFP/Getty Images A member of North Korea's under-20 women's football team is welcomed back at Pyongyang airport after beating France to win the 2016 FIFA under-20 Women's World Cup Dec. 6, 2016. KIM WON-JIN, AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-Un at the Wonsan Shoes Factory in Kangwon Province in this photo released on Dec. 9, 2016.

Korean Central News Agency via AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen Korean People's Army (KPA) lieutenant and tour guide Hwang Myong-jin poses for a photo in front of a hut where negotiations for the Korean War armistice agreement were held in 1953, at Panmunjom near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea Nov. 30, 2016. Ed Jones, AFP/Getty Images Sailor Kim Il-Soo poses for a photo on a boat used to host wedding photo shoots on the Taedong river in Pyongyang Nov. 25, 2016. Ed Jones, AFP/Getty Images North Korean traffic police women chat next to a residential building while off duty Oct. 18, 2016, in Pyongyang. Wong Maye-E, AP Kim Jong-Un interacting with people while inspecting the outpost on Kali Islet and the defence detachment on Jangjae Islet in the West Sea, Nov. 13, 2016. KCNA, AFP/Getty Images North Koreans walk past a residential building as they use an overhead bridge to cross a major intersection Oct. 18, 2016, in Pyongyang.

Wong Maye-E, AP North Koreans are seen in silhouette as they make their way across an intersection at the end of a work day Oct. 18, 2016, in Pyongyang. Wong Maye-E, AP Fullscreen Azalea, whose Korean name is "Dalle", a 19-year-old female chimpanzee, smokes a cigarette at the Central Zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea Oct. 19, 2016. According to officials at the newly renovated zoo, which has become a favorite leisure spot in the North Korean capital since it was re-opened in July, the chimpanzee smokes about a pack a day. They insist, however, that she does not inhale. Wong Maye-E, AP Students stretch following an under-14 training session at the Pyongyang International Football School in Pyongyang, Sept 22, 2016. Ed Jones, AFP/Getty Images A North Korean boy in his school uniform walks past a playground in a residential area on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Wong Maye-E, AP Spectators cheer as parachutists perform an aerial display during the Wonsan International Friendship Air Festival, Sept 24, 2016. Ed Jones, AFP/Getty Images North Korean female MiG-21 fighter pilots Rim Sol, left, and Jo Kum Hyang, right, walk past a MiG-21 plane at the Wonsan International Friendship Air Festival, Sept 24, 2016. Wong Maye-E, AP North Korean boys play in a fountain feature during a hot afternoon Sept. 23, 2016, in Pyongyang. Wong Maye-E, AP Fullscreen Residents look up at a big screen TV in front of Pyongyang railway station showing television presenter Ri Chun-Hee officially announcing that the country successfully tested a nuclear warhead earlier in the day on Sept. 9, 2016. North Korea has successfully tested a nuclear warhead, it said which said the "maniacal recklessness" of young ruler Kim Jong-Un would lead to self-destruction.

Kim Won-Jin, AFP/Getty Images This is a national meeting to celebrate the 68th founding anniversary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Pyongyang, Sept. 9, 2016. KCNA, AFP/Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un while inspecting the Taedonggang Pig Farm in Pyongyang, Aug.18, 2016 KCNA via AFP/Getty Images A North Korean man gulps down a glass of draft beer during a beer drinking competition held Aug. 12, 2016 in Pyongyang. This competition was held during a beer festival along the Taedong River in the North Korean capital. Kim Kwang Hyon, AP North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspects the Chollima building materials complex in Pyongyang, July 27, 2016. KCNA, AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen A surface-to-surface medium long-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-10, also known by the name of Musudan missile, being launched at an undisclosed location, North Korea. According to South Korea and Japan's officials, North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile off its east coast early Aug 3, 2016.

KCNA, via European Pressphoto Agency Fullscreen North Korean soldiers peep into a conference room in the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission Conference Building during a ceremony marking the 63rd anniversary of the signing of the Korean War ceasefire armistice agreement at the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea. Kim Hong-Ji, AP Fullscreen Military personnel stand during a rally at Kim Il Sung Square July 2, 2016, in Pyongyang. They were celebrating the new title of chairman of the new State Affairs Commission given to leader Kim Jong Un at a meeting of its national parliament. Kim Kwang Hyon, AP Fullscreen A missile is fired during a drill by Hwasong artillery units of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army, photo released on July 21, 2016 . North Korea said its latest ballistic missile tests trialled detonation devices for possible nuclear strikes on US targets in South Korea and were personally monitored by supreme leader Kim Jong-Un. KCNA, AFP/Getty Images Fairground participants ride a big swing in Pyongyang July 9, 2016.

Ed Jones, AFP/Getty Images Performers meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at an art performance staged by the amateur art groups of the Korean People's Army (KPA) units in Pyongyang July 16, 2016. KCNA, AFP/Getty Images A traffic police woman directs vehicles at a street junction in front of a sidewalk decorated with flags of the ruling party, the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, May, 5, 2016. Wong Maye-E, AP North Koreans push their bicycles in the rain on a pathway along the Pothong River in Pyongyang. Wong Maye-E, AP Taxis wait for passengers at the Pyongyang train station May 5, 2016. Wong Maye-E, AP People walk on a rail tracks in Pyongyang, April 18, 2016. Franck Robichon, EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY People ride the escalators at the Puhung metro station in Pyongyang, April 16, 2016. Franck Robichon, EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY A woman carries a bag next to a board in Pyongyang suburbs April 17, 2016.

Franck Robichon, EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY City view of Pyongyang, April 17, 2016. Franck Robichon, EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY A metro employee on board the newest cars at the Puhung metro station in Pyongyang, April, 13, 2016. They have one of the deepest metros in the world consisting of two lines with these recently added new cars. Franck Robichon, EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY Fullscreen A live-shell firing drill by artillery sub-units under large combined units of the North Korean Army, is shown in this undated photo, under the simulated conditions of beating back enemy forces conducting a surprise night landing. The photo was released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 12, 2016. KCNA via AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen Kim Jong Un, left, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, issues an order to conduct the ground jet test of a new type high-power engine of inter-continental ballistic rocket and comes to the Sohae Space Center to guide the test.

KCNA via EPA Fullscreen A rocket is displayed during the Immortal Flower Festival 'Kimilsungia' in Pyongyang, North Korea on April 13, 2016. The country is preparing to mark the 'Day of the Sun' celebrating the day of birth of the country's founder, Kim Il-Sung. on April 15. Franck Robichon, EPA Young women participate in a rehearsal ahead of the 'Day of the Sun' celebrations at Kim Il Sung Square on Wednesday, in Pyongyang. Franck Robichon, EPA This is a view of the Pyongyang, North Korea skyline on April 12, 2016. Franck Robichon, EPA Pyongyang Station is shown in late evening April 12th in Pyongyang,. Franck Robichon, EPA Fullscreen An image of the operation of a new type large-caliber multiple rocket launching system at an undisclosed location in North Korea is released from KCNA on March 24, 2016. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has claimed an "historic" advance in the country's nuclear strike capability with the successful test of a solid-fuel rocket engine, state media said.

KCNA via AFP/Getty Images A man cycles past the Kim Il Sung square on Wednesday, ahead of the 'Day of the Sun' celebrations in Pyongyang, North Korea. Franck Robichon, EPA Young boys get the view of Pyongyang, North Korea from a bus window, April 12. Franck Robichon, EPA Waitresses work on April 12, in a restaurant of the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea. Franck Robichon, EPA A tramway rides past the Pyongyang Station in Pyongyang, on April 12, 2016. Franck Robichon, EPA Pedestrians walk along a street in Pyongyang, North Korea. Franck Robichon, EPA A large mosaic representing Kim Il-Sung, left, and Kim Jong-Il in Pyongyang suburbs, North Korea is shown on April 12, 2016. An ethnic Korean U.S. citizen was sentenced to 10 years in jail for espionage. Franck Robichon, EPA A worker unloads a bag of fertilizer from a conveyer belt at Hungnam Fertilizer Complex in Hungnam, South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, March 13, 2016.

Kim Kwang Hyon, AP A shipbuilder works at the Hongwon Shipyard in Hongwon County, South Hamgyong Province, March 12, 2016. Jon Chol Jin, AP Fullscreen Newly manufactured shoes are seen at Wonsan Shoes Factory in the Kangwon Province, March 14, 2016. North Koreans are being mobilized en masse to boost production and demonstrate their loyalty to leader Kim Jong Un in a 70-day campaign aimed at wiping out "indolence and slackness." To show their loyalty, workers are putting in extra hours to boost production in everything from coal mining to fisheries. Kim Kwang Hyon, AP A North Korean soldier walks past a truck near goods piled up on a dockyard in Sinuiju, North Korea, March 14, 2016. AP North Koreans load goods on a dockyard with a Chinese and North Korean national flags in Sinuiju, North Korea, as seen from Dandong in northeastern China's Liaoning province, Feb. 26, 2016 .

AP This undated photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 2, 2016 shows a missile test of a new-type anti-air guided weapon system at an unknown location. KCNA, AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-Un inspecting the test of a new-type anti-air guided weapon system at an unknown location. photo released on April 2, 2016. KCNA, AFP/Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting the Plant under the Ryongsong Machine Complex in North Korea. KCNA, AFP/Getty Images A woman cycles with her child riding in a basket in Kaesong on Feb. 22, 2016. Wong Maye-E, AP Bicycle riders in Kaesong on Feb. 22, 2016. Wong Maye-E, AP Korean People's Army Lt. Col. Nam Dong Ho is silhouetted against the truce village of Panmunjom at the Demilitarized Zone on Feb. 22, 2016.

Wong Maye-E, AP The North Korea's women soccer team fills up custom forms in front of a globe structure as they prepare for departure to Beijing at Pyongyang's International Airport on Feb. 23, 2016. Wong Maye-E, AP Two people cycle past a planetarium at the Three Revolutions Exhibition Hall in Pyongyang on Feb. 23, 2016. Wong Maye-E, AP A cashier prepares a receipt for customers at a local restaurant in Kaesong on Feb. 22, 2016. Wong Maye-E, AP Solar panels hang from windows of an apartment building in Kaesong. Wong Maye-E, AP Soldiers guard the truce village of Panmunjom at the Demilitarized Zone on Feb. 22, 2016. Wong Maye-E, AP North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un attends a concert marking the 70th founding anniversary of the KPA military band in Pyongyang, in this photo released Feb, 23, 2016. Korean Central News Agency A boy pushes a cart of cabbage along a main road in Hyangsan County, north of Pyongyang, on Dec.

3, 2015. Wong Maye-E, AP South Korean army soldiers close a gate in Paju, near the border with North and South Korea, on Feb. 8, 2016. Ahn Young-joon, AP A North Korean woman walks down the streets of Pyongyang on Dec. 1, 2015. Wong Maye-E, AP The 105-story pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel towers over residential apartments and snow-covered trees and fields in Pyongyang on Dec. 3, 2015. Wong Maye-E, AP People ride in a boat in the Yalu River near Dandong on Feb. 9, 2016. Helene Franchineau, AP North Korean soldiers patrol next to the border fence near the town of Sinuiju on Feb. 10, 2016. Johannes Eisele, AFP/Getty Images A man works on a boat on the banks of the Yalu River on Feb. 10, 2016.

Johannes Eisele, AFP/Getty Images The sun rises over a bridge on the banks of the Yalu River in the Chinese border town of Dandong opposite the North Korean town of Sinuiju on Feb.10, 2016. Johannes Eisele, AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen A man rides his bicycle in front of a portion of the Great Wall on Hwanggumpyong Island, which is located in the middle of the Yalu River between the North Korean town of Sinuiju and the Chinese town of Dandong, on Feb. 9, 2016. Johannes Eisele, AFP/Getty Images A man and his son ride in a boat on the Yalu River near the town of Sinuiju across from the Chinese border town of Dandong on Feb. 9, 2016. Johannes Eisele, AFP/Getty Images People board a boat on the Yalu River near the town of Sinuiju across from the Chinese border town of Dandong on Feb. 9, 2016.

Johannes Eisele, AFP/Getty Images North Korean soldiers stand on the banks of the Yalu River near the town of Sinuiju on Feb. 8, 2016. Johannes Eisele, AFP/Getty Images North Korean soldiers in a watchtower observe a soldier walking on the banks of the Yalu River in the town of Sinuiju on Feb. 8, 2016. Johannes Eisele, AFP/Getty Images A North Korean soldier smokes a cigarette on the banks of the Yalu River in the North Korean town of Sinuiju, in an image taken from across the river in the Chinese border town of Dandong Feb. 8, 2016. Johannes Eisele, AFP/Getty Images North Korean military personnel celebratein Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang Jan. 8, 2016, afterNorth Korea said it conducted a hydrogen bomb test. Jon Chol Jin, AP A pair of North Korean soldiers walk through a field in Sakchu county, North Korea, Jan. 7, 2016. AP North Koreans clap at a rally after North Korea said it had conducted a hydrogen bomb test.

Kim Kwang Hyon, AP A North Korean soldier looks across the border with China from his post in Sakchu County, North Korea, Jan. 7, 2016. AP Fullscreen North Korean veterans gather before the start of a parade in Pyongyang, North Korea. Leader Kim Jong Un declared that his country was ready to stand up to any threat posed by the United States as he spoke at a lavish military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the North's ruling party and trumpet his third-generation leadership on Oct. 10, 2015. Maye-E Wong, AP A barbed-wire fence marks a military checkpoint near the Demilitarized Zone that separates South and North Korea on Jan. 6, 2016, in Paju, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun, Getty Images North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un watches a military firing contest in a photo released Jan. 5, 2016. Reports did not specify when Kim viewed the contest, but it is presumed to be his first military-related field guidance of 2016. Rodong Sinmun via European Pressphoto Agency North Koreans watch a news broadcast on a video screen in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Jan.

6, 2016. Kim Kwang Hyon, AP North Koreans watch a news broadcast on a video screen outside a Railway Station in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Jan. 6, 2016. Kim Kwang Hyon, AP Fullscreen Hyeon Soo Lim, pastor of the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto, is escorted to his sentencing in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Dec. 16, 2015. North Korea's Supreme Court sentenced him to life in prison with hard labor for what it called crimes against the state. Jon Chol Jin, AP Members of North Korea's Moranbong Band perform with the State Merited Chorus in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Oct. 11, 2015. Charles Dharapak, AP A North Korean soldier gathers straw in a field in Sinuiju, North Korea, seen from across the border in Dandong in northeastern China's Liaoning province on Jan. 6, 2016.

Chinatopix via AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by commanding officers of the Korean People's Army, visit the Kumsusan Palace where his father, Kim Jong-Il, lies, on Dec 17, 2015. Korean Central News Agency via AFP/Getty Images A picture made available on Oct. 25, 2015, shows a general view of Mount Kumgang covered in fog on North Korea's east coast. Yonhap via European Pressphoto Agency This picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Nov. 8, 2015, shows Kim Jong Un attending a photo session with military education officers. AFP/Getty Images A North Korean traffic police woman directs vehicles at an intersection on Sept. 15, 2015, in Pyongyang, North Korea, as residents commute at the end of the workday. Wong Maye-E, AP This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 14, 2015, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting the construction site of the Paektusan Hero Youth power station in Ryanggaung province.

KCNA via AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen A picture released by the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling North Korean Workers Party, on Sept. 8, 2015, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center front, and Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, second from right, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and first vice-president of the Council of State, watching an art performance by the Moranbong Band and the State Merited Chorus in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Sept. 7, 2015. Bermudez led a Cuban delegation to North Korea to mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between North Korea and Cuba. Rodong Sinmun, European Pressphoto Agency This undated photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sept. 5, 2015, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, at the Sinuiju Measuring Instrument Factory in North Pyongan Province. KCNA via AFP/Getty Images In this Aug.

23, 2015, photo, North Koreans read the public copy of a daily newspaper on the platform of a subway station in Pyongyang, North Korea. Dita Alangkara, AP A station officer waits for trains to arrive on the platform of a subway station in Pyongyang, North Korea, Aug. 22, 2015. Dita Alangkara, AP Fullscreen Portaits of the late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il glow on the facade of a building as the Juche Tower, top left, one of the city's landmarks, is seen in the background at dawn in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Aug. 19, 2015. Dita Alangkara, AP This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Aug. 18, 2015, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second from left, visiting the Taedonggang Combined Fruit Farm in Pyongyang. KCNA via AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen People line up Aug. 16, 2015, at kiosk in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Street stalls that offer North Koreans a place to spend -- or make -- money on everything from snow cones to DVDs are flourishing in Pyongyang and other North Korean cities, modest but growing forms of private commerce in a country where capitalism is officially anathema. Dita Alangkara, AP A newlywed couple pose, during a photo shoot on Sijung Ho beach in North Korea, on Aug. 18, 2015. The couple gathered with their friends and family members to have their pictures taken after their wedding ceremony. Dita Alangkara, AP Fullscreen People dance during the celebration of the Liberation Day as the portrait of North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il are seen in the background at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Aug. 15, 2015. Thousands of people take part in the celebration that commemorates the 17th anniversary of the liberation of the Koreas from Japanese colonial rule.

Dita Alangkara, AP North Korean soldiers watch as fireworks explode, July 27, 2015, in Pyongyang, North Korea, as part of celebrations for the 62nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War. Wong Maye-E, AP Fullscreen North Koreans bow in front of bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at Munsu Hill, July 27, 2015, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Koreans gathered to offer flowers and pay their respects to their late leaders as part of celebrations for the 62nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War. Wong Maye-E, AP Fullscreen Staff wait at the check-in counters of the new international airport terminal building at Pyongyang airport, July 1, 2015, in Pyongyang, North Korea. The unveiling underscores an effort to attract more tourists and to spruce up the country ahead of the celebration of a major anniversary of the founding of its ruling Worker's Party in October this year.

Kim Kwang Hyon, AP Fullscreen An Air Koryo plane sits on the tarmac in front of the new Pyongyang International Airport terminal building, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Air Koryo is the only carrier to have been awarded just one star in rankings released recently by the UK-based SkyTrax consultancy agency. Wong Maye-E, AP Fullscreen Men and women pump their fists in the air and chant "defend!" as they carry propaganda slogans calling for reunification of their country during the "Pyongyang Mass Rally on the Day of the Struggle Against the U.S.," attended by approximately 100,000 North Koreans to mark the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War at the Kim Il Sung stadium, Thursday, June 25, 2015, in Pyongyang, North Korea. The month of June in North Korea is known as the "Struggle Against U.S. Imperialism Month" and it's a time for North Koreans to swarm to war museums, mobilize for gatherings denouncing the evils of the United States and join in a general, nationwide whipping up of the anti-American sentiment.

Wong Maye-E, AP Fullscreen A farmer stands in front of a field June 24, 2015, in South Hwanghae, North Korea. There has been almost no rain in this part of the country, according to farmers and local officials interviewed by the Associated Press. While the situation in the area that the AP visited looks grim, it is unclear how severe the drought is in the rest of the country. Wong Maye-E, AP North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, center, visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on April 15 to celebrate the 103rd birthday of his grandfather, the late president Kim Il-Sung, in Pyongyang. KCNA, AFP/Getty Images A national meeting is held on April 14 at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium. KCNA via AFP/Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, center, inspecting Unit 1016 of Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force on March 10. KCNA via AFP/Getty Images North Korean workers plant seedlings in a field on Feb. 3 in Jaeryong, Hwanghae province. KCNA via European Pressphoto Agency North Korean leader Kim Jong Un enjoys his Dec.

1 visit to an artillery unit at an undisclosed location. Korean News Service via European Pressphoto Agency A state photo from December 5 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observing the North Korean military's winter training at an unknown location in North Korea. Korean News Service via, epa Fullscreen Soldiers and citizens rally at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, to protest a United Nations resolution condemning their country's human rights record Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014. Protesters at the rally Tuesday on the square carried banners praising their leaders and condemning the United States. The banner in the center reads: "Let's defend with our lives the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea headed by supreme leader Kim Jong Un." Jon Chol Jin, AP Fullscreen North Koreans gather in front of a portrait of their late leader Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il, right, paying respects to their late leader Kim Jong Il, to mark the third anniversary of his death, Wednesday Dec. 17 at Pyong Chon District in Pyongyang, North Korea.

North Korea marked the end of a three-year mourning period for the late leader Kim Jong Il on Wednesday, opening the way for his son, Kim Jong Un, to put a more personal stamp on the way the country is run. Kim Kwang Hyon, AP Fullscreen This picture taken by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on December 17 shows North Korean people offering prayers before portraits of late leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il in Pyongyang for the third anniversary of late leader Kim Jong-Il. Korean News Service via, AFP/Getty Images A December 13, handout photo shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un visiting the Korean People's Army navy unit 189. Korean News Service via, AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-Un applauds the participants in the second meeting of Korean People's Army (KPA) exemplary servicemen's families in Pyongyang in this handout image.

Korean News Service via, AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen This handout picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on December 9, 2014 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un holding up a boy as he joins a photo session with the participants in the second meeting of Korean People's Army exemplary servicemen's families in Pyongyang. Korean News Service via, AFP/Getty Images An undated picture from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on December 5, 2014 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting the new year combat and political drill of the Korean People's Army Korean News Service via, AFP/Getty Images People enjoy a ride at the Kaeson Youth Amusement Park on Sept. 3 in Pyongyang. Wong Maye-E, AP People shoot targets at an arcade at the Kaeson Youth Amusement Park. Wong Maye-E, AP North Koreans enjoy an amusement park ride. Wong Maye-E, AP Women wait for customers at a makeshift photo service stand. Wong Maye-E, AP North Koreans scream on the free-fall ride.

Wong Maye-E, AP A portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jung Un posing with judo gold medalist An Kum Ae decorates the wall at a local gymnasium on Sept. 2 in Pyongyang. Wong Maye-E, AP North Korean athletes practice on a trampoline. Wong Maye-E, AP A North Korean subway station staff member waits for the arrival of a train on Sept. 1 in Pyongyang. Wong Maye-E, AP A boy arm wrestles with former NFL player Bob "The Beast" Sapp during a wrestling goodwill tour on Aug. 29 in Pyongyang. Wong Maye-E, AP Kim Jong-Un attends the test firing of a new high-performance tactical rocket on Aug. 15. KNS AFP/Getty Images People bow to portraits of the late North Korean leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung on Dec. 17 in Pyongyang. It is the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il. David Guttenfelder, AP North Koreans visit Mansu Hill to pay their respects to former leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang. AP Soldiers prepare to place flowers at the statues of North Korean leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il on Mansu Hill.

Korean Central News Agency via AFP/Getty Images North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, presides over an event to marking the second anniversary of the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang. AP North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends an event in Pyongyang. AP Military officials applaud during an event marking the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il. AP People bow at the statues of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il on Mansu Hill. Korean Central News Agency via AFP/Getty Images People place flower bouquets before the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il on Mansu Hill. Korean Central News Agency via AFP/Getty Images Women sweep around the statues of the late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sun, left, and Jong Il on the eve of the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il on Dec. 16 in Pyongyang. David Guttenfelder, AP North Koreans lay flowers at the base of statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at Mansu Hill in Pyongyang. David Guttenfelder, AP North Korean soldiers gather at Kumsusan memorial palace as they stage a rally supporting their leader, Kim Jong Un, in Pyongyang.

Korean Central News Agency via AFP/Getty Images Soldiers march during a rally at the Kumsusan memorial palace. Korean Central News Agency via AFP/Getty Images Jang Song-thaek is escorted in court on Dec. 12. The uncle of leader Kim Jong Un was executed after a shocking purge, with the state branding the once-powerful man a "traitor." Yonhap via AFP/Getty Images A man watches a television news program showing the uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Jang Son Thaek, at his trial at a railway station in Seoul. Ahn Young-joon, AP Military vehicles parade during a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice on July 27 in Pyongyang, North Korea. AP Like this topic?

You may also like these photo galleries: Replay North Korea Admits Rocket Launch Failure in Rare Statement North Korea Admits Rocket Launch Failure in Rare Statement By Tariq Malik, Space.com Managing Editor | April 13, 2012 10:48am ET MORE The debris field left from break up and crash of North Korea's Unha-3 rocket shortly after its April 13, 2012 launch is depicted in red in this still from an Analytical Graphics, Inc., simulation. North Korea is located at upper right. Credit: Analytical Graphics, Inc. North Korea officially acknowledged the failure of its latest rocket launch Friday (April 13) in a rare admission from the reclusive nation, which defied international warnings not to launch what the United States and other countries saw as a missile weapons test. According to a brief statement from state-run Korean Central News Agency, North Korean scientists and engineers will review the Unha-3 rocket failure to determine what went wrong. The statement was released more than four hours after the failed Unha-3 rocket launch, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency , which published the account.

"The Earth-observation satellite failed to enter its preset orbit," the KCNA statement stated. The statement is a departure from North Korea's two previous launch failures, in 1998 and 2009, when the country insisted the attempts were successful. In an unprecedented move, North Korea also invited foreign journalists to tour the Unha-3 rocket's launch site and access other space program facilities ahead of the launch. [ Complete Coverage: N. Korea's Rocket Launch ] North Korean officials have said the rocket was carrying a small weather- and Earth-monitoring satellite called Kwangmyongsong-3, and that the launch was timed to honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of the country's founder, Kim Il Sung. Officials in the United States, Japan and South Korea stated the launch was a veiled ballistic missile test, which North Korea is forbidden to perform under United Nations Security Council resolutions. The fact that North Korea went through with the launch despite repeated warnings to desist from the United States and others will likely result in future sanctions, such as the loss of food aid, for the impoverished nation.

"While this action is not surprising given North Korea's pattern of aggressive behavior, any missile activity by North Korea is of concern to the international community," White House press secretary Jay Carney said in a statement. "The United States remains vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations, and is fully committed to the security of our allies in the region." "The missile was tracked on a southerly launch over the Yellow Sea," the North American Aerospace Defense Command announced in a statement. "Initial indications are that the first stage of the missile fell into the sea 165 km west of Seoul, South Korea." Is North Korea's Unha-3 rocket launch really a space mission or a missile test? Satellite! North Korea should be welcomed into the group of space powers. Missile Test! The Unha-3 rocket mission is a thinly veiled effort to test weapons. Undecided: North Korea's trademark secrecy makes it too unclear to call. What N. Korea rocket launch may mean for region and world What N. Korea rocket launch may mean for region and world Add a message (optional) Success - Article sent! close North Koreans watch an electronic screen announcing the launch of a satellite on Sunday, Feb.

7, 2016, at the Pyongyang Railway Station in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland. Associated Press People watch a TV news program showing an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland. Associated Press North Koreans watch an electronic screen showing a signed document by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un regarding the launch of a satellite on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, at the Pyongyang Railway Station in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland.

Associated Press People watch a TV news program showing the North Korea's statement saying it will launch more satellites at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland. Associated Press North Koreans applaud as they watch an electronic screen announcing the launch of a satellite on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, at the Pyongyang Railway Station in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland. Associated Press Passers-by look at a TV screen showing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speak on North Korea's rocket launch, in Tokyo, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland.

Associated Press In this image released by Japan's Kyodo News agency, an unidentified object is photographed in the sky from Dandong, China, near the North Korean border, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, at the same time a North Korea rocket was allegedly launched. North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland. (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea launched a long-range rocket Sunday, the first day of its announced eight-day launch window and about a month after the country's fourth nuclear test led to international condemnation. Already, world leaders are lining up to condemn the launch, which is being described as a potential threat to regional and world security. For help on what it all means, some things to consider about the North's latest move: ___ SATELLITE LAUNCH OR MISSILE TEST? Washington, Seoul and others consider the launch a banned test of missile technology.

That suspicion is based on the fact that Pyongyang has been openly pushing to manufacture nuclear-tipped missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland and that the technology used to launch a satellite-carrying rocket into space can be applied to fire a long-range missile. Simply speaking, a rocket is called a space launch vehicle when it is used to send up a satellite into orbit, but it becomes a missile when its payload is a warhead. Getting a rocket into orbit takes less than 10 minutes. A missile would take about 30 minutes to travel from North Korea to the continental U.S., experts say. ___ WHAT'S NEW ABOUT THIS LAUNCH? After several repeated failures, North Korea successfully put a satellite into orbit aboard its three-stage Unha-3 rocket in December 2012. The North's space agency said Sunday that it successfully put a new Earth observation satellite, the Kwangmyongsong 4, or Shining Star 4, into orbit less than 10 minutes after liftoff, and vowed more such launches. The United States and South Korea are still analyzing the launch.

South Korean defense officials say that a North Korean missile developed earlier than the Unha-3 rocket of 2012 has an estimated potential range of up to 10,000 kilometers (6,210 miles), which puts Hawaii and the northwest coast of the U.S. mainland within reach. But critics say the North still has some technical barriers to surmount to achieve reliable nuclear weapons that can attack faraway targets. Among the important tasks facing North Korean scientists are thought to be building up a larger rocket that can fly farther and carry a heavier satellite or payload. This would be necessary if the North is going to develop a missile that can reach the entire U.S. mainland and be loaded with a warhead, which is several times heavier than the satellite the country launched in 2012. The Unha-3 rocket from 2012 was about 30 meters (98 feet) tall and carried the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite, which weighed about 100 kilograms (220 pounds). The size of the satellite and rocket used in Sunday's launch wasn't immediately known.

Outside analysts say the successful flight of a rocket loaded with a satellite weighing about 1 ton (2,200 pounds) would mean the North likely could develop a nuclear-armed long-range missile. The North has been upgrading its Sohae launch pad since its 2012 launch. Satellite imagery showed the country completed an expansion of its launch tower there in late 2014 to accommodate larger rockets. ___ CONSEQUENCES It's almost certain that the North will be slapped with fresh U.N. sanctions for the launch. But critics are skeptical over whether any new sanctions can stop North Korea from continuing to pursue its nuclear and rocket programs because China, North's last major ally and biggest aid benefactor and a veto-wielding power in the U.N. Security Council, is unwilling to cooperate on any harsh punishment on the North. Beijing fears too much pressure on the North could cause it to collapse, pushing swarms of refugees over the countries' border and establishing a unified Korea that hosts American troops on its doorstep. The launch gives Kim, the North's young leader, a chance to burnish his image domestically ahead of a landmark ruling Workers' Party convention in May.

Because the North claims the launch as a success, it may think it has increased leverage in diplomatic negotiations and eventually propose talks with the United States and South Korea to try to win concessions, said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Seoul's Dongguk University. ___ North Korea celebrates rocket launch as others see it as a covert missile test | Fox News North Korea celebrates rocket launch as others see it as a covert missile test Published February 07, 2016 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 livefyre Email Print SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland. The rocket was fired from North Korea's west coast and its path was tracked separately by the United States, Japan and South Korea; no damage from debris was reported.

At an emergency national security council meeting in Seoul, the country's president called the firing an "intolerable provocation." North Korea, which calls its launches part of a peaceful space program, trumpeted the beauty of the launch's "fascinating vapor" as the rocket cut through the clear blue sky and said it had successfully put a new Earth observation satellite, the Kwangmyongsong 4, or Shining Star 4, into orbit less than 10 minutes after liftoff. It vowed more such launches. A U.S. official said it might take days to assess whether the launch was a success. The firing came about two hours after an eight-day launch window opened Sunday morning. It follows North Korea's widely disputed claim last month to have tested a hydrogen bomb. Washington and its allies will consider it a further provocation and push for more tough sanctions. The United States and Japan quickly requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Sunday morning, saying Pyongyang violated a council ban on ballistic missile launches. North Korean rocket and nuclear tests are seen as crucial steps toward the North's ultimate goal of a nuclear armed long-range missile arsenal.

North Korea under leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to bolster its nuclear arsenal unless Washington scraps what Pyongyang calls a hostile policy meant to collapse Kim's government. North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration, in typical propaganda-laden language, said Sunday that ruling Workers' Party policies were responsible for the rocket's success. The statement praised "the fascinating vapor of Juche satellite trailing in the clear and blue sky in spring of February on the threshold of the Day of the Shining Star." Juche is a North Korean philosophy focusing on self-reliance; the Day of the Shining Star refers to the Feb. 16 birthday of former dictator Kim Jong Il. North Korea has previously staged rocket launches to mark important anniversaries. Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang Gyun said a South Korean Aegis-equipped destroyer detected the North Korean launch at 9:31 a.m. The rocket's first stage fell off North Korea's west coast at 9:32 a.m. and the rocket disappeared from South Korean radars at 9:36 a.m. off the southwestern coast. There was no reported damage in South Korea. The South Korean government couldn't immediately confirm reports by Yonhap news agency and YTN TV that the rocket might have failed.

The U.S. Strategic Command issued a statement saying it detected and tracked a missile launched on a southern trajectory but it did not pose a threat to the United States or its allies. Japan's NHK broadcaster showed footage of an object visible in the skies from the southern island of Okinawa that was believed to be the rocket. Japanese chief Cabinet spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters that no debris fell on Japanese territory. The global condemnation began almost immediately. South Korean President Park Geun-hye said the launch was an "intolerable provocation." She said the North's efforts to advance its missile capabilities were "all about maintaining the regime" in Pyongyang and criticized the North Korean leadership for ignoring the hardships of ordinary North Koreans. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said: "We will take action to totally protect the safety and well-being of our people." U.S.

National Security Adviser Susan Rice said in a statement that "North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs represent serious threats to our interests — including the security of some of our closest allies — and undermine peace and security in the broader region." Kim Jong Un has overseen two of the North's four nuclear tests and three long-range rocket tests since taking over after the death of his father, dictator Kim Jong Il, in late 2011. North Korea says its rocket launches are satellite missions, but the U.S., South Korea and others say they are a covert test of ballistic missile technology. The U.N. Security Council prohibits North Korea from nuclear and ballistic missile activity. Experts say that ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technology. The Jan. 6 nuclear test has led to another push in the U.N. to tighten sanctions. North Korea in 2013 also did a nuclear test and then unnerved the international community by orchestrating an escalating campaign of bombast, including threats to fire nuclear missiles at the U.S. and Seoul. The Korean border is the world's most heavily armed and the rivals' navies occasionally trade gunfire near a disputed boundary in the Yellow Sea.

North Korea has spent decades trying to develop operational nuclear weapons. North Korea has said that plutonium and highly enriched uranium facilities at its main Nyongbyon nuclear complex are in operation. The North is thought to have a small arsenal of crude atomic bombs and an impressive array of short- and medium-range missiles. But it has yet to demonstrate that it can produce nuclear bombs small enough to place on a missile, or missiles that can reliably deliver its bombs to faraway targets. After several failures testing a multistage, long-range rocket, it put its first satellite into space with a long-range rocket launched in December 2012. The North's recent activity comes amid a long-standing diplomatic stalemate. Six-nation negotiations on dismantling North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for aid fell apart in early 2009. Under Kim Jong Un, a February 2012 deal for the United States to provide 240,000 metric tons of food aid in exchange for a freeze in nuclear and missile activities collapsed after a rocket launch by the North that April.

Advertisement North Korean Rocket Fails After Launch : NPR North Korean Rocket Fails After Launch April 12, 20127:25 PM ET NPR Staff and Wires North Korea fired a long-range rocket, which broke into pieces without any threat to land, a U.S. official tells NPR. North Korea acknowledged in an announcement broadcast on state TV that a satellite launched hours earlier from the west coast failed to enter into orbit. The Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite was fired from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Tongchang-ri along the west coast at 7:38 a.m., but failed to reach orbit, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said. "Scientists, technicians and experts are now looking into the cause of the failure," KCNA said. The launch of the three-stage rocket mounted with a satellite was part of the centenary celebrations to honor the nation's founder, Kim Il Sung. It defied international warnings against a launch widely seen as a provocation. U.S. and South Korean officials said hours earlier that the rocket splintered into pieces about a minute after liftoff over the Yellow Sea, calling it a provocative failed test of missile technology.

This was Pyongyang's third attempt to send a satellite into space since 1998. "A missile like this could eventually be equipped with a nuclear warhead," NPR's Tom Gjelten reports, "and that, of course, would be a dramatic and very worrisome development because this missile, theoretically ... could reach the United States." Article continues after sponsorship The trajectory for this launch would have sent the missile to the south of the Philippines. However, there's no evidence North Korea could put a warhead on the missile, and the failure of Friday morning's launch, Gjelten says, "would suggest that North Korea is not near that capability yet." Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, tells NPR that an action like this shows that North Korea has not become less confrontational, even with its new leader, Kim Jung Un. But, he says, the country has done worse things in the past. "I do think that this is a provocation that is not horrible in the scheme of things," he says. "It's obviously not good, but therefore maybe our response should be measured as well. And it could be ...

somewhat punitive without going too far." In a statement, the White House called the launch "provocative," and said North Korea was "only further isolating itself." Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight industrialized nations also condemned the launch. The U.N. Security Council plans to discuss the issue Friday. NPR's Tom Bowman, Tom Gjelten and Louisa Lim contributed to this report, which contains material from The Associated Press North Korea fires rocket seen as covert missile test - National | Globalnews.ca February 6, 2016 9:50 pm Updated: February 6, 2016 10:03 pm North Korea fires rocket seen as covert missile test By Foster Klug The Associated Press WATCH ABOVE: South Korea's Defense Minister, Han-Min Koo went on board a destroyer on Saturday as it continued a mission to detect a North Korean missile launch. What is this? Sponsored content is written by Global News' editorial staff without any editorial influence by the sponsor. If you'd like to learn more... X What is this? Sponsored content is written by Global News' without any editorial influence by the sponsor. If you'd like to learn more...

- Story continues below The rocket was fired from North Korea’s west coast and tracked separately by the governments Japan and South Korea, which immediately convened a an emergency national security council meeting. South Korean media reported that the rocket may have failed, but provided no other details. The South Korean government couldn’t immediately confirm the reports. The launch came about two hours after an eight-day launch window opened Sunday morning. It follows North Korea’s widely disputed claim last month to have tested a hydrogen bomb. Washington, Seoul and their allies will consider it a further provocation and will push for more tough sanctions in the United Nations. READ MORE: North Korea moves up rocket launch window: South Korea Defence Ministry A South Korean defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of office rules, said the rocket disappeared from South Korean military radars around six minutes after its launch. The official said there were no immediate reports of debris landing on South Korean territory or damaging property. The rocket’s first stage fell off South Korea’s west coast, the official said. Japan’s NHK broadcaster showed footage of an object visible in the skies from the southern island of Okinawa that was believed to be the rocket. Japanese chief Cabinet spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters that no debris fell on Japanese territory.

North Korean rocket and nuclear tests are seen as crucial steps toward the North’s ultimate goal of a nuclear armed long-range missile arsenal. North Korea under leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to bolster its nuclear arsenal unless Washington scraps what Pyongyang calls a hostile policy meant to collapse Kim’s government. The global condemnation began almost immediately. READ MORE: Seoul, Tokyo threaten to intercept North Korean rocket debris Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the North Korean rocket launch and the recent nuclear test violations of U.N. agreements. “We absolutely cannot allow this,” he told reporters at the prime minister’s residence. “We will take action to totally protect the safety and well-being of our people.” U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice said in a statement that “North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons programs represent serious threats to our interests – including the security of some of our closest allies – and undermine peace and security in the broader region.” The United States and Japan requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Sunday morning. Their request said that North Korea has violated a Security Council ban on ballistic missile launches.

Kim Jong Un has overseen two of the North’s four nuclear tests and three long-range rocket tests since taking over after the death of his father, dictator Kim Jong Il, in late 2011. North Korea says its rocket launches are satellite missions, but the U.S., South Korea and others say they are a covert test of ballistic missile technology. The U.N. Security Council prohibits North Korea from nuclear and ballistic missile activity. Experts say that ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technology. READ MORE: China urges restraint over North Korea rocket launch The Jan. 6 nuclear test has led to another push in the U.N. to tighten sanctions. North Korea in 2013 also did a nuclear test and then unnerved the international community by orchestrating an escalating campaign of bombast, including threats to fire nuclear missiles at the U.S. and Seoul. The Korean border is the world’s most heavily armed and the rivals’ navies occasionally trade gunfire near a disputed boundary in the Yellow Sea. North Korea has spent decades trying to develop operational nuclear weapons. It is thought to have a small arsenal of atomic bombs and an impressive array of short- and medium-range missiles.

But it has yet to demonstrate that it can produce nuclear bombs small enough to place on a missile, or missiles that can reliably deliver their bombs to faraway targets. Still, the North’s nuclear tests and steadily improving long-range rocket launches push its nuclear aims further along. North Korea has said that plutonium and highly enriched uranium facilities at its main Nyongbyon nuclear complex are in operation. The country is thought to have a handful of rudimentary nuclear bombs but there is debate about whether it is capable of building warheads small enough to mount on a missile that could threaten the United States. READ MORE: US, China spar over North Korea, South China North Korea has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range rocket. After several failures, it put its first satellite into space with a long-range rocket launched in December 2012. Six-nation negotiations on dismantling North Korea’s nuclear program in exchange for aid fell apart in early 2009. Under Kim Jong Un, a February 2012 deal for the United States to provide 240,000 metric tons of food aid in exchange for a freeze in nuclear and missile activities collapsed after a rocket launch by the North that April.

North Korea Rocket Launch: Complete Coverage North Korea Rocket Launch: Complete Coverage By SPACE.com Staff | April 12, 2012 08:10pm ET MORE This still from a CNN broadcast shows North Korea's Unha-3 rocket, as the country officials prepared for an attempted satellite launch in April 2012. Credit: CNN Video North Korea says it will launch a new Unha-3 rocket carrying an Earth-observing satellite into orbit in April 2012 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, the country's founder. The launch window ranges between April 12 and April 16. Many nations, including the United States, South Korea and Japan, have condemned the planned launch, which they see as a military missile test in disguise. Update for April 13, 5:53 p.m. ET In a rare and embarrassing admission, North Korea publically acknowledged that its Unha-3 rocket failed to reach orbit during an attempted April 13 launch. The failed launch was the third attempt by North Korea to orbit a satellite. All three have failed.

After earlier attempts, one in 1998 and the other in 2009, North Korean officials maintained the launches were successful despite confirmation of failure by U.S. intelligence officials. Full Story Is North Korea's Unha-3 rocket launch really a space mission or a missile test? Satellite! North Korea should be welcomed into the group of space powers. Missile Test! The Unha-3 rocket mission is a thinly veiled effort to test weapons. Undecided: North Korea's trademark secrecy makes it too unclear to call. North Korea is proceeding with preparations to launch an Earth-observing satellite into orbit atop a long-range rocket. The controversial launch has been condemned by other nations, including the U.S. and South Korea. Monday, April 9 North Korea is planning to launch an Earth-observing satellite on a long-range rocket sometime between April 12 and 16. The launch has been condemned by the U.S. and South Korea as a disguise for testing military missiles. Monday April 2 North Korea's Rocket Technology Explained: An Observer's Guide As North Korea gears up for a controversial satellite launch next month, here's a brief rundown of the Hermit Kingdom's long-range rockets and missiles.

Breaking: North Korea Defies International Warnings - Launches Long-Range Rocket The AP reported: North Korea on Sunday defied international warnings and launched a long-range rocket that the United Nations and others call a cover for a banned test of technology for a missile that could strike the U.S. mainland. The launch, which South Korean officials confirmed about two hours after an eight-day launch window opened Sunday morning, follows North Korea’s widely disputed claim last month to have tested a hydrogen bomb. It will be considered a further provocation by Washington and its allies and likely draw more sanctions and condemnation from the United Nations. North Korean rocket and nuclear tests are seen as crucial steps toward the North’s ultimate goal of a nuclear armed long-range missile arsenal. North Korea says its nuclear and missile programs are necessary to defend itself against what it calls decades of U.S. hostility. Leader Kim Jong Un has overseen two of the North’s four nuclear tests and three long-range rocket tests since taking over after the death of his father, dictator Kim Jong Il, in late 2011. North Korea says its rocket launches are satellite missions, but the U.S., South Korea and others say they are a covert test of ballistic missile technology. The U.N.

Security Council prohibits North Korea from nuclear and ballistic missile activity. Total: 184

Question: Which nation defied international warnings when launching a rocket in Dec 2012?
Answer: North Korea