Hong Kong (CNN) -- North Korea's neighbors have condemned the secretive nation's launch of a long-range rocket, with Seoul calling the launch a "challenge and threat" to stability on the Korean peninsula and the world at large. The rocket passed close to the territory of Japan and South Korea, but both have refrained from any retaliation. Japan said it did not take any action to destroy what it termed "a missile," which passed over its territory near the island of Okinawa, and had not seen any signs of damage. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said the launch was "extremely regrettable."
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Japan and South Korea decry North Korean rocket launch
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NEW: China regrets launch and urges calm
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Beijing seen as having most leverage over North Korea
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How China responds to new initiatives will be key
"@placeholder will be further isolated from the international community after this launch," a statement from the presidential Blue House said.