Japan on full alert ahead of N Korean launch

NK's Rocket Launch Puts Nippon of Red Alert..Kudos to Noda govt from making such an excellent security arrangements !

Other nations should have ships filled with food and aid float right off NKoreas coast, in plain view. When they luanch the rocket, have them all slowly start pulling away.

Gurkukun, that is an excellent idea!!

By reading, you could think they are only playing a game. A single launch isn't going to do anything to a country...but indeed may improve their technical space ability. Interception would be easy since it is not a missile launch. Now proven danger and worries lie within country.

I can't stand hypocrites more than anything. We have everything flying over their country. Our governments have scanned that missile site countless times. We already know there's nothing "nuclear" about it. Otherwise we would have taken that thing down already.

It's just like George Bush's administration claiming Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction when IN FACT we had Iraq locked so tight with our No-Fly Zone that they couldn't get anything in or out of Iraq. George Dubya Bush knew he would encounter little resistance blitzing into Iraq so they even had reportors, "civilians" on board for the ride.

This is the same. NK isn't launching some secret attack.

The only threat Japan has is ITSELF, and companies like TEPCO that inadvertantly, through fault of their own, actually nuked Fukushima.

It's show business people and it's entertaining. You're going to drink beer and enjoy your bentos under the cherry blossoms and you won't even see a thing.

Allow me to present an alternate scenario. One that you might prefer. Lets say the rocket test fails. Lets say it blows up and the debris fails into the ocean. You know what will come next. Japan will complain to North Korea about the debris in the ocean. You see, I can't stand hypocrites.

Will there be any mention of the fact that Japan did not clean up it's own debris after the tsunami. Yes it was a natural disaster but your country is still responsible for it's property. No, Japan used relief money to support the whaling community.

In summary, it's ridiculous how the media and J'Gov't is hyping up this (rocket / missile) launch. He wants to launch a satellite in honor of his daddy. Let him do it.

@Gurukun Your memory fails you. It's other nations food but definitely not yours. Most people feel Japan's food is radiated / contaminated with cesium levels higher than safety levels. Come back down to Earth my friend. If they didn't have any food over there they'd all be starving and dead thus there would be no one to actually defend the nation. So what are you waiting for? You KNOW they are starving to the point where they can't lift the barrel of their AK47s and every civilian is on their knees praying for Gurukun to land and give them a rice ball. Go on over there if you really believe some of that madness / rhetoric the media gives you.

Launching a missile to mark the centenary of the birth of late founding president Kim Il-Sung? We should just shoot it down.

Empty posturing. Sometime tomorrow, NK will shoot their test missile, and nobody will do anything about it, except huffing and puffing.

Save the hot air already.

@NetNinja The rocket launch directly violates U.N. security resolutions 1718 and 1784. That is why there is sufficient cause for condemnation. This is a ballistic missle test, poorly disguised as a 'satellite launch'. The bogus cover story has been debunked by enthusiasts and professionals alike (e.g., http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/04/noko-lying-launch/).

@NetNinja - While most of your post I agree with, that little attack on Gurukun and thought process you have going on about N. Koreans not being fed is slightly off. While yes the civilains are starving, the Military has plenty of strength to lift those barrels you are talking about. I've seen them first hand within 200m. All that food that DOES get shipped into N. Korea, doesn't get to the civilians it's meant for; it goes straight to the military. Check yourself before trying to rip into someone else. It's not the media madness you are referring to, it's fact. The UN led by the U.S. has intermittedly sent food aid, and was recently (this year) preparing to send food aid that has been temporily halted due to this satellite launch. And it wil resume again eventually.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/north-korea-rocket-launch-means-food-aid-us/story?id=16109396

http://articles.cnn.com/2012-03-01/opinion/opinion_analysis-north-korea-promise_1_yongbyon-nuclear-program-nuclear-activity?_s=PM:OPINION

You KNOW they are starving to the point where they can't lift the barrel of their AK47s and every civilian is on their knees praying for Gurukun to land and give them a rice ball. Go on over there if you really believe some of that madness / rhetoric the media gives you.

Netninja-and you know they are not staarving how? I have two doctors that were let in a few years back and the stories they have told me were horrendous. IV's made from dirty pet bottles, malnutritioned babies. Dead babies. Men and women that were to the point of starvation where they cant lift a farming hoe or shovel...and the list goes on. They are starving. Don't believe what they call the NKorea media. They show you the healthy people of Pyongyang and the Armies that march the streets, but those people over there out side of camera shot, are dying of starvation. I might not believe everything I see and hear on TV, but to see my two doctor friends in tears when telling me what they saw...I think I'll go with thier story.

It's just like George Bush's administration claiming Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction when IN FACT we had Iraq locked so tight with our No-Fly Zone that they couldn't get anything in or out of Iraq. George Dubya Bush knew he would encounter little resistance blitzing into Iraq so they even had reportors, "civilians" on board for the ride.

This is the same. NK isn't launching some secret attack.

NetNinja - that's how I see it too.

There is something fishy about this whole story.

Reeks of "Hollywood."

Someone is trying to throw us a line.

Probably something like, "See, how dangerous the environment is, Japan? See how much you need the U.S.A. to protect you?"

My husband and I chatted about this last night. Why is NK the Bogey Man? When is the last time NK has attacked a country they weren't at war with? Korea and NK are still technically at war so thise few civvies killed last year (two years ago?) don't really count in all of this. Yes, starving their own people is disgusting but I can think of far more countries around the world that treats their population the same if not worse and we all look the other way. Location is it? Best to have a scary monster to look at than face the problems in your own country?

The hypocrisy in this all is sickening. I don't support NK doing this but I also don't support my country flying crap over other countries either. If they want to test out what they have, why can't they? Everyone else is allowed it seems.

There are many more countries out there that a) have weapons of mass destruction b) have used such weapons in the past c) test weapons all the time d) have invaded other countries e) ignore what a large chunk of the population wants...

Net, well said. My husband was laughing at the tech they have in Tokyo to shoot this down. Flight path is no where near Tokyo and is "all for show" - his words, not mine. Honestly, if anyone should be crap bricking right now if this works, it is the Philippians, not Japan.

Japanese government mistakenly announced that the KSCT fired a rocket on April 4, 2009, at about 12 p.m. Tokyo time, sending nationwide emergency warnings, only to be to be retracted less than five minutes later, and announced the error was originated from the JSDF FPS-5 radar's faulty detection (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwangmy%C5%8Fngs%C5%8Fng-2)

Let's see if the J-gubament can avoid the bodge job they did in 2009!

@tmarie - I'm sensing a lot of hate towards the US in EVERY SINGLE word you type. Yes we fly "crap" over other countries, but other's fly them over ours...

A) Yes there are other countries with WMDs, but they haven't threatened, or have since retracted their threats towards other countries.

B) Yes the US used them, yes it wasn't the correct option, but in the end, we learned that they are not good choices of weapons the hard way and we are not trying to hide the results of the only use of them ever. We have made it be known that they are our last resort. We don't want to use them again. And because of that first hand knowledge, we want to remove/prevent others from having them. Don't be naive and start with the whole, "then the US should disarm first" crap. Because every country in the world would jump at that opportunity. Believe that!! Yes alot of countries hate the US, and that specific disarmament would bring all of them towards us. They are called the Nuclear Deterrent for a reason, they will only and forever be a defensive weapon from us again.

C)They reason they can't test these things is because they are still technically at war. They do have the WMDs, and they have threatened to use them. They can test the smaller items anytime, but because they are such an unstable country, they are closely monitored, just like Iran and Pakistan.

D) The last time there was an invasion in Korea, it was the North invading the South...

E) Yes there are other countries that treat their people worse than starving them to death, but we don't look the other way. Have you recently been into the UN website, the resolutions, the things we are doing for these countries. I guessed not... That's a shame...

As far as the "all for show" line; it may in the end be all for show, but I'd rather it be all for show, then end up with a potential missile in my city. (flys near okinawa) Japan would be naiive in not posturing. Any potential threat can and should be prepared for - that's why we have the term sovereignty. And before you start using that term against me; N. Korea is being monitored and they agreed to not test such weapons. Under their own sovereignty. So with them breaking that agreement, they have potentially exposed other Sovereign nations, who are allowed to posture as they see fit; without imposing themselves upon another sovereign nation.

If the US would just pull its military out of South Korea, the DMZ could be cleared and the North and South could sit down in the middle of that at a table, shake hands and plan a whole new future for Korea.

Isn't the DMZ there because North Korea won't shake hands with South Korea? And isn't that the reason why the US is there?

I don't choose a camp. Just see the reality.

D) The last time there was an invasion in Korea, it was the North invading the South...

Not the last time. 1950, the North attacked the South and failed. Then the US'n buddies invaded the South, and succeeded. Plus the US tried to invaded the North too and failed. Put yourself in US shoes, what do you reproach to NK ? Your own failure, but well, you also got one in Vietnam and your citizens don't feel the least concerned (do they even know about those old wars ?). The world wonders why you insist and the answer has nothing to do with NK (it's about China only). Put yourself in the shoes of Japan, that's not your business at all, you have nothing to do about NK. Your are not threatened and never were, last time you went to Korea...forgot, ne ? OK, let's say you've never been there. Oh you did ? Yeah, soccer world cup. NK is a fictional place like the fictional jidai-geki Nippon where they shoot the NHK taiga, except that in the NK studio, they shoot another dorama that is used to deter citizens from criticizing Noda's antics (Mr, Noda. Fu-ku-shi-ma, Fu-ten-ma, nen-kin, e-co-no-my... moshi moshi ? I can't here you, you said missile for the NK rocket but why not spray water on it like your colleague Kan did when the nuke plant cracked ? ). Put yourself in SK shoes, you feel bad from both US and NK attacks, complicated but the in the 20 last years, the regime is less of a dictatorship, status quo became comfortable, peace is an option . Put yourself in NK shoes... the last invasion was threatening YOU, and since then, you've been in the pit, status quo is a struggle. The US, Japan, etc, are not proposing you a way out, they pretend they do, but that's fake. So peace is not an option, you have no option, no satisfactory option.

Isn't the DMZ there because North Korea won't shake hands with South Korea? And isn't that the reason why the US is there?

No. The contrary. Because the US is there, South Korea won't (can't, wouldn't know how to) shake hands with the North. The US is there because China is there. If China moved to Latin America, the US would leave Asia.

@Riffraff. Excellent post. We Americans learned that a house divided cannot stand. Keeping the North and the South separated is in the best interest of Japan and the U.S. God forbid the two Koreas reunite and have a strong economy plus military support. That would change everything.

Even America has been victim of such tactics. The Civil War per se.

Anyway, North Korea has been nothing but informative and considerate with this rocket launch. NK's media is plain out blunt. They aren't hiding anything. Japan's media is more savvy about controlling the masses. The country is ripe with fear. Just after a major earthquake now they've got you shaking in your boots.

You still don't get it though. It's not the North Koreans you have to worry about. It's your own government which hasn't been on the up and up with the public about the real nuclear radiation.

They know you are happy though. The sun is shining, baseball season has started with games on every night, and it's cherry blossom season. You forgot all about it. Now that's a good government controlled media.

Cos -

Not the last time. 1950, the North attacked the South and failed. Then the US'n buddies invaded the South, and succeeded. Plus the US tried to invaded the North too and failed.

I was difficult to read your ranting blob of text and I really have no idea what you are trying to say with it all apart from shouting some random opinions however you have a strange view on the Korean War.

The North, unprovoked attacked the the south and tried to invade. The South asked for western assistance. the Western coalition arrived when only a small pocket of South Korean territory was left. The coalition pushed the North all the way back past the 28th parallel after which China entered the war on the DPRK's side and pushed the lines back to the 38th parallel, they were not separate wars or invasions, it was a fluid single war.

oh and also

No. The contrary. Because the US is there, South Korea won't (can't, wouldn't know how to) shake hands with the North. The US is there because China is there. If China moved to Latin America, the US would leave Asia.

You are surely an expert in pan Asian foreign affairs to make such bold assertions about such sweeping, dynamic and important subjects, being a North Korean foreign affairs expert then obviously I don't need to tell you that North Korea actually seeks direct talks with the U.S. and not South Korea, which has been the case for many many years, you would also know that this is to try to affirm their status as a legitimate state.

Obviously the U.S.'s presence in the Asian theatre is only because of china and has nothing to do with billions of dollars of trade transferring between Asia(not only China) and the U.S. It also has nothing to do with Asian countries requesting a U.S. presence in the area!

Anyway, North Korea has been nothing but informative and considerate with this rocket launch. NK's media is plain out blunt. They aren't hiding anything. Japan's media is more savvy about controlling the masses. The country is ripe with fear. Just after a major earthquake now they've got you shaking in your boots.

North Korea sounds like such a wonderful country, compared to this hideous capitalist peice of crap we call western democracy. I am surprised you haven't moved there because you make is sound so much better then the 1984 we live in right now. Who needs freedom of speech, justice, democracy, free markets, food, the internet.

If only I wasn't so stupid and brainwashed by the media like you tell me I am, what I would give to be able to think for myself like you can.

Interesting Mike because when I wrote my post, a few countries actually came to mind. Not all about your country as much as you would like to think it is. USA, USA, USA!!! And some Americans wonder why some think you're self centered... I feel for those decent people who get that it isn't.

@Cos and RiffRaff- Really??? I have been at the tables you speak of... The N. Koreans Will not shake these hands, they won't talk to the S. Koreans, etc.. Have you seen the tables, been near them even??? Didn't think so. @Cos - I didn't go to the world cup, I live in S. Korea at the moment and I have been to the DMZ and went to the tables. Don't assume such ignorant things. Also, again, your wrong on the fact that we invaded South Korea. they asked us to go and help them, so we did. Just as pexa02 has shown, 1950 was the last invasion; and it was the North invading the South who asked for help and received it. When we help, and we lose good men, it becomes personal. And we have been threatened. We have been attacked for no reason, read up on the Axe Murder Incident that happened in the DMZ at the United Nations Council compound; that believe it or not is exactly where these tables you speak of sit. Exactly where the N. Koreans snot and wipe themselves with the S. Korean flags among other things. These are FACTS. Again, I have stood in those rooms, I have seen the N. Koreans staring me down as I walk through the compound and I have seen them staring down the S. Koreans all with these here two eyes.

Pexa02 - Thank you. Some one else with some sense and a little Asian History/Current events knowledge.

@tmarie - your points of A, B, C, and D all are pretty much setting up the US. obviously no other country has used WMDs except the US, the U.S are one of the only few countries that maintain a nuclear arsenal, yes plenty of countries have invaded others. If you are going to try to generalize the world, try making a better effort. It seems by what you wrote you were speaking only of the U.S. And I agree most Americans are extremely self-centered. I will take your feeling of pity upon myself as well. I have done plenty of putting people in their place for acting as such. Again, try to stay away from the indirect attacks. I apologize for apparently reading your post wrong, but perception is key in a response; and my perception was an attack on the U.S.

I love the opinions flying around here, without the simple knowledge of history, facts and truth. N. Korea has become a state, because of the regime that leads it, that is extremely unstable, extremely indecisive, and clearly has no regard for their own people. N. Korea receives aid from all the countries that people think despise it. They receive food aid, as well as other supplies from several UN states and some that are a part of the UN. These things need to researched before ignorant comments and opinions are thrown about. If you can find something that clearly debunks anything I have said, I will happily take a heaping spoonful of that thing the call pride and swallow it. But there are some things that just need to be researched, we should be making well informed opinions here. IMO...

I think we should collect for one-way tickets to Cos and RiffRaff so that they can leave the miserable, oppressive West and join the liberated masses in the wonderful democratic republic of North Korea under the divine guidance of the Most Dear Leader Kim Yong Un.

I am ready with my donation. Lets help our fellow suffering brothers.

@pexa02. Who needs freedom of speech, justice, democracy, free markets, food, the internet.

Tsk Tsk. Do you believe you have that now? Japan kidnaps children just like NK. Can you vote for your Prime Minister? You think justice is served in Japan? Are the markets really free with all these scandals and price fixing? Are you really free to see what you want to see on the Internet? Is your food safe?

You can't answer any of these questions with a straight face. Just because your facade looks good doesn't make you a first rate society. You put NK down so much yet you are unwilling to acknowledge your own atrocities.

We have no,right to criticize NK when our own nations have committed war crimes far beyond UN law.

You'd like to say we admire NK but the truth I hate a hypocrit much more than dictator.

I have monitored NK's missile launches in the past. I know how we do discussions with them. We park Aegis cruisers and Boomers off their coast. Then we talk diplomacy. As we go back and forth on this American and Japanese ships are already on station in the Japan sea. Seriously, you guys need to stop hating on people you don't know and have never met.

Before you make your comments you need to ask yourselves "Has my country done the same or worse than the country I'm criticizing?"

Love the reaction here - just wish they put some of those PAC 3s on the Senkakus and the Aegis ships around it - could do NK hysteria and flip the bird to China more effectively at the same time.

Still, it is good for all those SDF guys relocated to Okinawa from Hokkaido to get to have something to do, and to drive home to China that they are claiming and regularly violating the sovereignty of Japan's most militarized prefecture.

The Japanese govt is probably quietly thankful to DPRK for giving them the opportunity to posture against China like this.

The Chinese military should feels wonderful when the Japanese sdf made 'electronic exposures' from their radars for further evaluations and countermeasures research!. Thanks you, Mr Noda!

@Patrick - re-read my post. I also commented on the fact that they are such an unstable state they are not allowed to test these larger weapons. Yes the US is still in conflict with other countries, I personally know people that have not seen their family members return. As far as the "technicality" of being at war, actually, war itself hasn't been declared, we are in a state of conflict. It's called "The War onTerrorism", but "war" hasn't been declared by Congress. So there's your news on that. And feeding their countrymen/clothing their countrymen, while I agree with you, would be the bigger thing to do, won't happen, again because of what I mentioned earlier; N. Korea has become a state, because of the regime that leads it, that is extremely unstable, extremely indecisive, and clearly has no regard for their own people. They are following the rules/laws, etc that said eternal leader set. So, in their eyes, they are doing the right thing. Hence the afforementioned statement regarding the regime. And as far as the "unproven" UN violations, those aren't the only ones I'm refering to. They blatently violate tens of them every single day in the UNC compound in the DMZ. Again, I've been there...

And as far as the money spending, yes I do agree, there are several better ways to spend that kind of money, never argued that point. But clearly, N. Korean civilians are much much more needing of those funds.

one of the only few countries that maintain a nuclear arsenal, yes plenty of countries have invaded others. If you are going to try to generalize the world, try making a better effort.

I apologize for apparently reading your post wrong

You're not exactly helping your countrymen look good with such comments.

without the simple knowledge of history, facts and truth. You think you know it all? Man, I feel for your decent countrymen. You're not one of them.

I'm sorry you feel that way tmarie. That was an actual apology. And I never said I knew it all, I just comment on the things I know. I don't make brash assumtions and opinions. I like to research my answers. If I find I'm wrong. I don't comment. It's a pretty simple process really. I'm just commenting that others should do something similar.

Again, I do apologize for reading the post wrong, but if you don't accept my apology, so be it. I tried.

@Smash - Not trying argue either, a discussion between two individuals with different opinions is a debate. When you start attacking and using insults or similar things, it turns into an arguement.

As far as I'm concerned the red alert was not pointless. If you don't prepare for it, then it's pointless. The preparations were meaningful; as most almost always are. If, and I know that's an if, but IF the rocket had succeeded, and some off the wall thing happened and it went of course or towards Japan in anyway, and there were no preparations, where would they be sitting. You always HAVE to hope for the best, and prepare for the worst in any case, it doesn't matter. Self-preservation is key in the world, and that's what Japan saw fit. Prepare for the worst.

As far as the U.S collectively using the words "conflict" and "war". Believe me, I would agree with you that we are at war, but there's these things called technicalities. That's what I was referring to. There are many things that can and should be considered an act of war commited by many countries daily. Believe it or not, this rocket launch could be taken as such a threat to some countries. If any country sees anything, anywhere as a potential threat, they should act accordingly. Again, self-preservation for a nation state is key.

The NK looks the most stupid (like usual) and Japan with its weeks and weeks of panic news and pointless futile gestures runs NK a close second.

Actually, I think Japan and the US look the dumbest with NK a distant second. Most countries have had testing missles and whatnot explode, not do what they had wanted... Hence testing them.

Well said on what defines "war" - I agree with you on that.

@ Smash - Not completely sure it was blown out of proportion by the US government, let alone deliberately. As you say, and I agree, the media does these things. Then, if that's the case we can't justifiably say "the US did this, or said this". The media loves to twist the words of the government officials and their associates.

And again, everyone is entitled to their opinions, and I believe that all the posturing/readying is completely justifiable. We probably could/should agree to disagree on that subject.

As far as the hipocrisy, the US wasn't the only country that suggested that N. Korea shouldn't be able to launch that rocket. They just were the front runners in it, because again, it affected (with perceived threat) two of our allies; who along with us voiced loud concerns (As did China actually; although not nearly as loud). As I said before to tmarie, perception is everything. Whether there is a "legitimate" threat is open to interpretation.

I again agree with the hypocrisy thing on some levels, but I guess you can throw me into the those many Americans that justify what we are doing. We were attacked, so we are attacking the self proclaimed culprits. Yes, Iraq may not have been justifiable under this, and I'm not claiming it is. But Afghanistan, on the other hand is.

And for those of you who said that S. Korea didn't seem to care for the North, or didn't want to meet, or didn't agree with your views take a lil gander;

"Our government strongly criticizes their action," said South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Sung Hwan. "They have ignored the starvation of their people and spent money on missiles. It is very unfortunate."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/12/world/asia/north-korea-launch/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 Tim Schwartz, CNN, April 13, 2012

We were attacked, so we are attacking the self proclaimed culprits. Yes, Iraq may not have been justifiable under this, and I'm not claiming it is. But Afghanistan, on the other hand is.

Oh dear GOD! Stop!! Didn't you say you didn't comment on things you didn't know about?

Well said Patrick, well said. Though I would also add that Afghanistan wasn't warranted either - and let's remind ourselves of who armed the Taliban in the first place... Oh right... Perhaps a few remember? I know I do!

"Our government strongly criticizes their action," said South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Sung Hwan. "They have ignored the starvation of their people and spent money on missiles. It is very unfortunate." Coming from a country that is still at war with North Korea, I think they have every right to be upset at this. SK getting upset and worried is VERY different than Japan and the US creating a ruckus.

@smash - Those self proclaimed culprits I was speaking of, are of the terrorist group Al Qaeda. That's who we are still attacking at the moment. We have permission to be in Afghanistan to fight them. We are not attacking Afghanistan tmarie, please don't be so naiive. You can attack a group without them all being from the same country. That's why this is called "The War On Terrorism" and that's why we haven't declared a state of war against any one country, it's impossible to do so, because they are from all walks of life from all the countries in the world. As far as the Iraq part you keep bringing up, I already agreed with you on that one, so please stop beating a dead horse we both killed. And the N. Koreans having any attack on the South doesn't only bring other countries by default that includes the USA, then the UK and others who will fall in behind in America if this happens, there are other countries that would help even if we didn't. And contrary to popular belief to the masses, N. Korea is capable of attacking other countries. Just because a rocket failed doesn't mean they don't have other offensive weapons (albeit very limited and the attack probably wouldn't last long; they would be almost certainly provide an initial surge while waiting for Mother's China and Russia to create a secondary and much larger wave). They just don't get publicized. Believe that. Japan can, but as you said, probably won't be attacked. But again, because they potentially can, and they are in EXTREMELY close proximity to a country that is unstable and no one knows what they will do next; they have every right to prepare for any perceived threat they deem necessary to prepare for. Just because some, or even half, of the citizens don't agree; doesn't mean they were wrong in preparing for a worst case scenario.