SEOUL (AFP)
North Korea, which fired a long-range rocket on Sunday, has for decades been developing missiles both for what it terms self-defense and as a lucrative export commodity.
The hard-line communist North said it was launching a communications satellite as part of a peaceful space program, and the South Korean government said a satellite was aboard the rocket.
The United States and its allies say the launch is a pretext to test its longest-range missile, the Taepodong-2, despite resolutions.
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Late 1970s North Korea launched its missile development program starting with the Soviet Scud-B with a range of 300 kilometers (187 miles). |
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1984 North Korea tested a developed Soviet Scud-B and later deployed it for service in the military |
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1987 -1992 The communist state began developing a variant of the Scud-C with a range 500 kilometers (310 miles), as well as the Rodong-1 with a range of 1,300 kilometers (807 miles), the Taepodong-1 with a range of 2,500 kilometers (1553 miles), the Musudan-1 with a range of 3,000 kilometers (1364 miles) and the Taepodong-2 (6,700 km).
North Korea also tested a solid-fuel missile called the KN-02 with range of120 kilometers (74 miles), a version of the Soviet SS-21 which is accurate and road-mobile.
The Scud-B, Scud-C and Rodong-1 all were tested successfully.
Daniel Pinkston, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, said he had information from intelligence agencies that North Korea assembled nuclear warheads for the Rodong-1, which could target Japan.
Missiles of various types can also deliver high-explosive and chemical warheads and possibly biological weapons. |
-In Aug. 1988, North Korea launched the first and only Taepodong-1 over Japan. It sparked alarm in Tokyo, but the third stage apparently exploded before it could place a small satellite into orbit, according to Pinkston. |
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Sept. 1999 Amid improving relations with the United States, North Korea declared a moratorium on long-range missile tests. |
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March 2005 North Korea ended the moratorium blaming the "hostile" policy of the George W. Bush administration, which labeled the country part of the 'Axis of Evil'. |
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July 5, 2006 The Taepodong-2 was first fired along with six shorter-range missiles, but the largest missile blew up after 40 seconds. The U.N. Security Council condemned the 2006 tests and imposed missile-related sanctions.
The main security threat is seen as coming from some 800 road-mobile missiles. Of these, about 600 of them are Scuds capable of hitting targets in South Korea, and possibly Japanese territory in some cases.
There are another 200 Rodong-1 missiles, which could reach Tokyo. |
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Dec. 2002 Fifteen Scuds made by North Korea were seized on a ship bound for Yemen.
North Korea is thought to have sold hundreds of ballistic missiles to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and other countries over the past decade to earn foreign currency, according to a U.S. Congressional Research Service report in 2007. |
