North Korea successfully launches multistage rocket

North Korea successfully fired a long-range rocket on Wednesday that reportedly traveled the entire distance of a projected course. The rocket, according to Japanese military officials who were tracking it, flew south over the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and the Philippines. The North Korean government claims the rocket is meant to put a weather satellite into orbit, but other nations, including United States, South Korea and Japan consider it something far more sinister. They have deemed it to be a test of technology that could one day deliver a nuclear warhead capable of hitting targets as far as the continental the United States. A UN resolution has banned North Korea from pursuing this kind of technology, but North Korea apparently is not paying much attention to it. Kim-Jong Un, North Korea’s new young leader, has also maintained a elaborate system of arms trade with Iran and Syria, making the recent rocket launch even more concerning to the US.

“I would think proliferation would be more of an immediate threat,” said Bruce Bechtol, a former U.S. military intelligence analyst who now teaches at Angelo State University. “If this was successful, the Iranians will no doubt buy several of these and they could launch it a number of ways, including a cover of a satellite launch themselves.”