North Korean missile flies across Japan

TOKYO North Korea fired a ballistic missile today that likely flewover northeastern Japan and landed in the Pacific Ocean, a spokesmanfor Japan's Defense Agency said.

The first stage of the missile landed in waters between Russiaand Japan, but the second stage crossed over Japan and fell into thePacific Ocean hundreds of miles off the main Japanese island ofHonshu, said spokesman Toru Kawajiri.

A two-stage ballistic missile combines two engines, with thefirst falling away after its burns up its fuel and a second that thenignites and proceeds to another target.

The launch just after noon (11 p.m. Sunday Chicago time) wasconfirmed by Japanese, South Korean and U.S. defense officials. Itwas North Korea's first test-firing of a missile in five years andits fourth since 1984.

In response, Japan today refused to back a long-plannedagreement to help fund two nuclear reactors for North Korea.

Japan's Defense Agency, quoting unidentified U.S. militaryofficials, said the first stage was probably aimed at waters betweenRussia and Japan and landed 190 miles southeast of Vladivostok,Russia.

The missile was a new `Daepodong I' with a range of 1,240 miles,the South Korean Defense Ministry said. That range is twice as longas that of the North's previous staple "Rodong" series missiles. ThePentagon has referred to the two missile types as "Taepo Dong 1" and"No Dong."