On the only otheroccasiona Taepodong-2 was tested, in 2006, it crashed secondsaftertake-off, and a Taepodong-1launchedin 1998 got onlyhalf asfar as this one.
North Korea's test-firing of a less powerful Taepodong1 rocket over Japan into the Pacific in August 1998 had alarmed its neighbours and sent seismic shudders through North-East Asia's delicate security balance.
With its cluster of four Taepodong1 engines powering the first stage, and either a similar engine or a Scud motor for the second stage, the Taepodong 2 is unquestionably a rocket to be reckoned with.