VIDEO: Airlines reroute, ships detour as tensions build ahead of North Korean rocket launch

North Korea says it has completed preparations to launch what it says is a satellite for monitoring agricultural and meteorological conditions — perhaps as soon as Thursday.

U.S. officials and their allies in the region say the launch isn't about putting a satellite into orbit, but rather about testing ballistic missile capabilities. The launch is scheduled for sometime between Thursday and Monday, depending on whether in the region, various media outlets reported. 

According to The New York Times, South Korea and other Asian nations have directed their ships and airplanes to reroute in advance of the launch. The early stages of the rocket are expected to fall in the Yellow Sea, off South Korea's southwest coast, and in the South China Sea off the coast of the Philippines.

Even some North Korean supporters, like Russia, have criticized the North's space launch. The Russian RIA Novosti news agency quoted Alexander Lukashevich, a foreign ministry spokesman saying Russia considered North Korea’s plans “an example of ignoring decisions of the U.N. Security Council.”

North Korea Confirms Rocket Launch
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