Japan launches no interceptor against DPRK rocket

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-05 11:31

Tokyo -- The Japanese government said no interceptor was launched against Pyongyang's rocket which cleared the country on Sunday morning, but it lodged strong protest against the projectile.

Japanese Prime Minister Aso Taro said the launch is a clear violation of a UN Security Council resolution, calling it " provocative" and "cannot be overlooked."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Japan is expected to extend its ongoing economic sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) due to expire April 13, for one year rather than six months.

Kawamura told reporters that Japan felt "extremely regrettable" that DPRK went ahead with the rocket launch and "strongly protest against" Pyongyang's projectile.

The DPRK launched the "Unha-2" rocket at 11:20 am local time (0220 GMT) Sunday from the East Sea Launch Ground in the east coast of the country, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

The "Kwangmyongsong-2" satellite was sent into orbit at 11:29 am local time (0229 GMT), the KCNA report said.

South Korean news agency Yonhap had reported previously that the rocket was carrying a satellite, dismissing speculations that it was a disguised missile launch.

"We believe North Korea (DPRK) fired a rocket carrying a satellite," a South Korean government official was quoted as saying by Yonhap.

The rocket has dropped two booster stages to the east and west of Japan, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.

The first stage was estimated to have dropped 280 km to the west of Japan at 11:37 am (Japan time). Japan ended tracking the rocket 2,100 km west of the country in Pacific and believed the second booster had not landed within the sphere, although it earlier said the booster dropped 1,270 km east of Japan, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.

"I believe that flying a projectile over another country is extremely problematic even if it has taken procedural steps," Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada was quoted by Kyodo News as saying.

As of noon, there were no reports of damage in six northeastern prefectures in Japan and no debris from Pyongyang's rocket has been reported in Japan.

Japan has relocated Patriot ground-to-air guided missile launch units to Akita and Iwate prefectures in the northeast and sent two destroyers in the Sea of Japan and another destroyer to the Pacific Ocean to track the projectile.

It has earlier vowed to shoot down the launch vehicle if it is seen falling toward the Japanese territory, an act which will surely provoke the DPRK.

However, some Japanese critics believed Japan should not be overreacted on this issue, saying amplifying the launch influence will only increase regional instability.