On 5 April, North Korea launched a long range Taepodong-2missile from a military installation on its north eastern coast. The trajectory carried the three stage missile over Japan where its two booster rockets descended into the Sea of Japan.

North Korea gave prior warning of the launch and has said all along that it was using it as part of the peaceful pursuit of a space program to place an experimental "Kwangmyongsong-2" communications satellite into orbit as its right under international law.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Jiang Yu issued a statement expressing "hope that all sides will maintains calm and restraint, handle the matter appropriately, and work together to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability."

The European Union and the United States along with Japan have strongly condemned the North Korean launch of a long-range missile, calling it a provocative act with which North Korea has further isolated itself from the community of nations.

South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Yu Myung-hwan , said, "we are greatly disappointed that North Korea was willing to spend tremendous amounts of money in launching the rocket in spite of the food shortages they face."

Experts speculate that North Korea has been working on long-range missile development since its nuclear test in 2006, giving any launch vehicle designed to put a satellite into orbit a dual use as long distance delivery system for a warhead.

In a statement issued by his spokes person, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, "Given the volatility in the region, as well as a stalemate in interaction among the concerned parties, such a launch is not conducive to efforts to promote dialogue, regional peace and stability" He urged the DPRK to comply with Security Council resolutions, such as resolution 1718, which demanded that the country "not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile," following its claims to have conducted a nuclear test in October 2006.

An emergency session of the UN Security Council has been ordered to take place in New York on Sunday, 5 April.