美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-12-17

 After years of failed attempts, North Korea has set a satellite into orbit. It was connected to a rocket that launched yesterday, some experts called the launch a big deal for North Korea. Chance for the country to show off its progress with technology. Japan called the launch intolerable and South Korea called it, quote, " a threat to the peace of the Korean Peninsula in the world."

 
The issue here is that the technology used to launch this satellite is the same kind that could be used to launch a ballistic missile, or an attack missile. Back in April, the United Nations Security Council demanded that North Korea stop any launches that use missile technology. The group focus out strongly against yesterday's launch as well.
 
"The International Community and our colleagues in the council have condemned 1 this launch, clearly and swiftly, as a clear violation 2 of UN Security Council resolutions."
Hancocks looks at some possible reasons for this launch and she has some reactions from both countries on the Korean Peninsula.
Dancing on the street in Pyongyang, the day North Korea claims it send a satellite into orbit. The response from residents are surprisingly patriotic 3. The successful launch of the satellite sent a shockwave to the whole world this month, he says. Pyongyang insists the program is peaceful. The United States, South Korea, and others disagree. They consider the launch to be a cover for testing ballistic missile technology. North Korea's foreign ministry 4 rebuffed the criticism, saying hostile forces are showing signs of a sinister 5 bid to take issue with the law. Concern on the Streets of Seoul was more low key. Compensation is never good, says the Seoul residents. It causes military tension, but I think North Korea just wanted to show off. South Korea's Defense 6 Ministry says the North leader Jim Jong-Un needed to cement his control one year after he succeeded his father. Experts said he needed to prove himself to the military.
 
"After having purged 7 all the key figures over the last several months, he had to show the army that he was still in command. And he had to show the people, that despite the fact that North Korea was doing very poorly economically, they have the right to stand up against, so called imperialists' forces, but they want is an embrace on a message that army that I'm with you."
 
Ronald Reagan, George H.W.Bush, Bill Clinton, George.W.Bush. Three of these last four U.S presidents have served 8 years in the White House. President Obama's set to do the same thing, when your country's leader are in office that long can make it easier to remember what order they came in. In Japan, that might be more challenging.
 
So would you like to play the prime minister game? It's a very difficult challenge, so you have to place them in order.
 
"Oh, so close! Ok, what do you guys think, is that right? Is it correct? You think it's correct? Yeah?"
 
"Good job, it's correct."
 
All right, so part of what makes that prime minister game so difficult is that in the past 6 years, Japan has had 6 different prime ministers. The country could get its 7th soon. Japan's holding elections on Sunday. So what do the Japanese people think about this turnover 8 at the top of their government and what kinds of challenges will their next prime minister face. Here is Alex Zolbert with more.
 
Isn't is frustrating 9 that you've had so many leaders in 6 years?
 
It's completely crazy, she says.
 
Another woman tells us it is unusual to have so many priime ministers, it's a sign of Japn's instability.
 
Obviously the jokes can be made about the ever changing prime minister here in Japan, but there are very serious issues at play. This is country is recession once again, it's grappling with rising debt, as well as its biggest reconstruction 10 efforts since World War II. Plenty to tackle for whoever will become this country's seventh prime minister in just over 6 years. Alex Zolbert, CNN, Tokyo.