Uh-oh: Maker of N. Korea's Rocket Was ... N. Korea

The rocket that North Korea successfully launched last month was mostly homemade, South Korea says, fueling concerns about Pyongyang's ability to produce weapons despite international sanctions. "North Korea is believed to have made a majority of components itself, although it used commercially available products imported from overseas," says a South Korean Defense Ministry report.

The South was able to collect 10 pieces of the rocket after it launched. The technology involved is similar to what's used in ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US, a BBC correspondent notes. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is poised to vote this week on stricter sanctions against Pyongyang, South Korean news reports. (In related news, North Korea's mobile missiles have US intelligence worried.)