What are your thoughts on North Korea in the wake of its recent launch of a missile over Japan?

Luke Harrington, 36
Gardener (Australian)
Focusing on the Middle East as a hot spot, the world is failing to pay attention to the simmering tensions between Japan, China and North and South Korea.

Yumi Setoguchi, 23
Social studies teacher
More frightening than the launch is that the North's feelings toward Japan are still unclear. The U.N. should clarify its stance on North Korea as soon as possible.

Scott Thomson, 33
School owner (Scottish)
I don't think North Korea is not a serious threat, in the same way that Iraq's "weapons of mass destruction" weren't. However, the country is still a dictatorship.

Yukiko Matsuzawa, 27
High school teacher
At the moment it is unclear why North Korea launched the missile. We also don't understand how they feel about Japan, so the recent events are very worrying.

Joel Bhana, 31
Designer (New Zealand)
The launch has further destabilized an already unstable situation and has worried the Japanese, but I try to keep perspective, as it's too easy to distrust what we don't fully know.

Sheetal Tailor, 25
Psychologist (British)
I don't have a huge knowledge of the history and ties between Japan and the North, but I do think that North Korea is a country we should be cautious of.