Japanese Parliament and Public Unite to Protest North Korean Missile Launch

North Korea’s launch of a military reconnaissance satellite using ballistic missile technology triggered panic in Japan last week, followed by strong reactions across the country. Japan’s parliament strongly condemned the action and was followed by the country’s largest trade union confederation—representing millions of Japanese—which issued a strongly worded statement. North Korea had informed Japan on Nov. 21 that it would launch a missile sometime between Nov. 22 and Dec. 1. The unexpected launch late in the evening of Nov. 21 triggered panic as the government briefly issued an emergency evacuation warning to residents of Okinawa. North Korea’s space agency subsequently reported that its Malligyong-1 satellite was placed in orbit. State media said the satellite would officially begin its reconnaissance mission starting Dec. 1, following a period of fine-tuning. The launch followed two failed attempts earlier this year....