South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is now calling on North Korea to not test their missile as well now:

“Of all the countries in the world, South Korea cares most about the lives and happiness of the North Korean people. What protects North Korea are not nuclear weapons and missiles, but cooperation with the South and the international community,” President Lee Myung-bak said.

“Denuclearisation is a short-cut for North Korea that allows it to grow into a member of the international community,” Lee said in a speech to mark an uprising against the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula.  [Reuters]

I’m sure Lee understands this, but North Korea prefers brinkmanship over cooperation because it keeps a country that otherwise would be irrelevant considering its size, population, and economy, in the headlines and making money from the extortion it demands from the international community.

Their latest brinkmanship is being touted by the North Koreans as being a satellite launch:

Here is the reasoning the Reuters article gave for North Korea wanting to conduct this test:

Analysts said the North was using brinkmanship to pressure the new U.S. government and its main allies in the region, South Korea and Japan, to reverse tough policies against the North. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a trip to Asia in February, warned North Korea against any provocative moves.

What tough policies?  Unfortunately the journalist did not list any.  Ever since Agreed Framework 2.0 was signed the North Koreans have been given just about everything they wanted.  This latest brinkmanship is being used to get further concessions from the new US Presidential administration after milking the old administration for everything it was willing to give them.  The early signs are that the new US Presidential administration is going to continue this policy of appeasement.