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Japan said Friday that it could shoot down the satellite that North Korean officials said they plan to launch.
North Korea had informed an international organization that it plans to launch a satellite. Yonhap, South Korea’s state-sponsored news agency, said the launch was slated for April 4 to 8.
The announcement has triggered international consternation. U.S. and South Korean officials have long said the North is actually preparing to test-fire a long-range missile under the guise of a satellite launch.
The missile, Taepodong-2, is thought to have an intended range of about 4,200 miles (6,700 kilometers), which — if true — could give it the capability of striking Alaska or Hawaii.
A U.N. Security Council resolution in 2006 banned North Korea from conducting ballistic missile testing. Japanese officials said they could shoot down the object whether it is a missile or a satellite…
