North Korea is officially out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as of today, April 10. This is the latest step taken by Pyongyang causing observers to fear it is planning on restarting its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missile programs. More recently, North Korea launched what appeared to be an anti-ship cruise missile off of its western coast on April 1. The withdrawal of North Korea from the NPT had been announced 90 days ago and comes on the heels of the U.N. Security Council's inability April 9 to agree on how to handle the increasingly tense situation in northeast Asia.
USA Today, April 10, 2003

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) is keeping a wary eye on the Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-3's performance in Iraq, wondering the reported $2.8 billion deal should continue as planned or if alternative defense systems should be explored. Said Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Chen Chao-ming, "We will ask the [United States] to improve the Patriot system before delivering the newest version of the system - the PAC-3 - to the island. If they can not meet our demands, we will set up certain conditions for the deal." Presently, MND intends to buy six PAC-3 batteries. One alternative technology being discussed is an anti-tactical ballistic missile (ATBM) system based on the Tien Kung missile. The Taiwanese military hopes to complete development of the ATBM by 2006. The ATBM system is currently in its testing phase, where it has run into problems creating a fast enough interceptor to be effective against ballistic missile targets.
Taipei Times, March 25, 2003

North Korea tested another anti-ship cruise missile off its eastern coast on Monday. The test was not a surprise as Pyongyang had declared a temporary maritime exclusion zone in the area from Saturday through Tuesday. The missile flew about 110 kilometers into the Sea of Japan and appeared to be identical to the missile North Korea tested on Feb. 24. South Korean officials claim that the earlier test failed when the missile unexpectedly and prematurely blew up.
Philadelphia Inquirer, March 10, 2003

On the eve of South Korea's presidential inauguration, North Korea tested a cruise missile on Monday, Feb. 24. The anti-ship cruise missile was apparently a variant of China's Silkworm missile and has an estimated range of about 60 miles. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, in Seoul for inauguration activities, called it a "fairly innocuous" test of a missile that North Korea has been known to have since 1997. However, coming on the heels of Pyongyang's recent announcement that it will restart the Yongbyon nuclear power facility, it ratchets up the pressure the North Korean government has been creating for the Bush administration. Washington Times, Feb. 27, 2003

Chinese officials vehemently denied a Japanese news daily's report that China had tested a ballistic missile with multiple reentry vehicles, or MRVs. This kind of warhead design would neatly counter and overwhelm any missile defenses that the United States might be able to deploy in the near future. Said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhang Qiyue, the report that China had tested a MRVd DF-21 missile in mid-December was "utterly groundless."
Agence France Presse, Feb. 11, 2003

India and the United States are scheduled to hold talks on Jan. 15-16 regarding possible cooperation on missile defense. The talks will occur via the Indo-U.S. Defense Policy Group and will be led by U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Thomas Payne and India's External Affairs' Joint Secretary for Disarmament Sheelkant Sharma.
Times of India, Jan. 3, 2003.

According to The New York Times (Nov. 11, 2002), Japanese officials are giving new thought to stepping up their cooperation with the United States on missile defense. Says Japanese Defense Agency head Shigeru Ishiba, "We should exert efforts to get the program to leave the research phase as soon as possible." Japan has been involved in anti-missile research but had planned to wait until 2004 before deciding whether to get involved in field trials. This renewed consideration of missile defense as a possibility for Japan is in response to recent actions taken by North Korea. Both its missile and nuclear programs have been viewed by the Japanese public with increasing dismay, giving more weight to a missile defense capability.

Sanctions have been placed on North Korea after officials determined that North Korea had sold Yemen missile components during the Clinton administration. Both Changgwang Sinyong Corporation and the North Korean government now cannot receive licenses or contracts for high-tech goods. The United States has no trade with North Korea for these items, but administration officials laud this step as "making a statement to the world that North Korea engages in dangerous and illicit activities." Prior to this announcement, Yemen had already expressed that it would not buy any more missile technology from North Korea. Critics are concerned that the sanctions may indicate a more hard-line stance toward North Korea and that this may hurt future diplomatic efforts to stop Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear proliferation.
The New York Times, Aug. 23, 2002

The Pentagon reports that China is expected to sharply increase its missile forces in response to the development of a U.S. missile defense system. In the annual report to Congress on China's military power, DoD states that China is modernizing its missile systems in number and quality (perhaps adding penetration aids), and even may put multiple warheads on its long-range ballistic missiles. This apparently is partially in response to U.S. actions: "China's ballistic missile modernization began before it assessed that the United States would deploy a missile defense, but China likely will take measures to improve its ability to defeat the system in order to preserve its strategic deterrent."
Global Security Newswire, July 15, 2002