N. Korea 'Ready' to Launch Rocket

Navy moves ships in as Tokoy says it will shoot down debris

(NEWSER) - The Japanese government ordered its military to fire on a North Korean rocket if any part of it falls into Japanese airspace, reports Reuters. North Korea has said it will launch a communications satellite but is presumed to be testing a long-range missile, which is currently on a launch pad. North Korea has warned that any attempt to shoot down the rocket itself would be an act of war. More»

UN sanctions will derail disarmament talks: Pyongyang

(NEWSER) - As the date of a promised “satellite launch” nears, North Korea has placed a long-range ballistic missile on the launch pad used for earlier test firings, Reuters reports. South Korea, Japan, and the US plan to seek UN sanctions if the nuclear power goes forward with what analysts believe will really be the test of a three-stage rocket that could reach as far as Alaska. More»

(NEWSER) - South Korea scrubbed a planned satellite launch minutes before liftoff today, citing an unspecified technical error, reports the BBC. Seoul has been itching to join the Asian space race and has already produced 10 satellites for other countries' rockets. But the event had threatened to strain recently improved relations with North Korea, which claims—to the disbelief of South Korea and the US—to have successfully launched a satellite in April. More»

(AP) - North Korea fired seven missiles off its eastern coast today, South Korea said, in what was seen as a message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day holiday. The launches, which came 2 days after North Korea fired four short-range missiles, could further escalate tensions in the region as the US tries to muster support for tough enforcement of a UN resolution against Pyongyang. More»

UN fails to agree on punishment for rocket launch

(NEWSER) - Japan is punishing North Korea for its recent rocket launch with renewed and tightened sanctions, the BBC reports. Japan has lowered the cap on monetary transmissions to reduce the flow of money into the country. A ban on imports from North Korea remains in place, but a total ban on exports to North Korea failed to pass. More»