<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>April 5, 2009
North Korea rocket launch
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Tense moments for Japan <!--10 min-->
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PAC-3 land-to-air missiles are deployed at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo. -- PHOTO: AP
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<DIV class=clear></DIV><DIV class=border_dbl2_bn></DIV><DIV class=clear></DIV><DIV class=marginb5></DIV><!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><DIV class=story_text>TOKYO - FOR several tense minutes North Korea's rocket sped through the skies over Japan, and the Japanese did not try to shoot it down - a move Pyongyang had warned would amount to an act of war.
Japan had taken the unusual step of authorising its military in advance to intercept any bit of the rocket that threatened to hit its territory, but those few moments of drama came and went with no confrontation.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE><DIV class=vclear id=related><DIV class=quote><DIV class=headline>SKoreans calm over launch</DIV><DIV class=text>SEOUL - SOUTH Koreans, who have lived for decades within range of North Korea's artillery and missiles, reacted calmly but critically to North Korea's latest rocket launch on Sunday.
'We South Koreans are accustomed to North Korean threats,' said office worker Lee Seong-Wook, 37.</DIV><DIV class=text align=right>... more</DIV></DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The government said the boosters of the North Korean rocket appeared to have plopped harmlessly into the waters off Japan's coasts just as Pyongyang had said they would - letting many here breathe a sigh of relief.
'I really feel relieved after several restless days,' said Yuri Saito, the 24-year-old daughter of a fisherman. 'My father went out to sea even today, and I was glad to receive a radio call from him just now to confirm he's safe.' Japan had deployed destroyers equipped with anti-missile Aegis systems, awaiting the launch of what Tokyo, Seoul and Washington had said would really be an illegal test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The rocket blasted off from the North around 0230 GMT (10.30am Singapore time). Seven minutes later, the first booster stage was believed to have dropped into the waters of the Sea of Japan (East Sea) off the country's northwest coast.
After flying over Japan, the missile then dropped its second booster stage into the Pacific Ocean about 1,270 kilometres (800 miles) from Japanese land at about 0243 GMT, the country's Crisis Management Centre said.
All in all, the missile was apparently over Japanese land for less than six minutes.
'We have not received any immediate information about possible damage from the launch,' a National Police Department spokesman said.
While not shooting it down, Japan voiced its anger over the launch, carried out despite repeated pleas from the United States, South Korea and Japan to call it off. -- AFP Read also:
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North Korea rocket launch
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Tense moments for Japan <!--10 min-->
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
PAC-3 land-to-air missiles are deployed at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo. -- PHOTO: AP
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<DIV class=clear></DIV><DIV class=border_dbl2_bn></DIV><DIV class=clear></DIV><DIV class=marginb5></DIV><!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><DIV class=story_text>TOKYO - FOR several tense minutes North Korea's rocket sped through the skies over Japan, and the Japanese did not try to shoot it down - a move Pyongyang had warned would amount to an act of war.
Japan had taken the unusual step of authorising its military in advance to intercept any bit of the rocket that threatened to hit its territory, but those few moments of drama came and went with no confrontation.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE><DIV class=vclear id=related><DIV class=quote><DIV class=headline>SKoreans calm over launch</DIV><DIV class=text>SEOUL - SOUTH Koreans, who have lived for decades within range of North Korea's artillery and missiles, reacted calmly but critically to North Korea's latest rocket launch on Sunday.
'We South Koreans are accustomed to North Korean threats,' said office worker Lee Seong-Wook, 37.</DIV><DIV class=text align=right>... more</DIV></DIV></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The government said the boosters of the North Korean rocket appeared to have plopped harmlessly into the waters off Japan's coasts just as Pyongyang had said they would - letting many here breathe a sigh of relief.
'I really feel relieved after several restless days,' said Yuri Saito, the 24-year-old daughter of a fisherman. 'My father went out to sea even today, and I was glad to receive a radio call from him just now to confirm he's safe.' Japan had deployed destroyers equipped with anti-missile Aegis systems, awaiting the launch of what Tokyo, Seoul and Washington had said would really be an illegal test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The rocket blasted off from the North around 0230 GMT (10.30am Singapore time). Seven minutes later, the first booster stage was believed to have dropped into the waters of the Sea of Japan (East Sea) off the country's northwest coast.
After flying over Japan, the missile then dropped its second booster stage into the Pacific Ocean about 1,270 kilometres (800 miles) from Japanese land at about 0243 GMT, the country's Crisis Management Centre said.
All in all, the missile was apparently over Japanese land for less than six minutes.
'We have not received any immediate information about possible damage from the launch,' a National Police Department spokesman said.
While not shooting it down, Japan voiced its anger over the launch, carried out despite repeated pleas from the United States, South Korea and Japan to call it off. -- AFP Read also:
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