Japan slapped limited economic sanctions on North Korea Wednesday and moved with the United States to condemn Pyongyang in advance of a hastily called session of the U. N. Security Council after the Stalinist state unnerved the region by test launching a barrage of least seven missiles.

After firing six missile over 4 hours early Wednesday, North Korea continued its unprecedented series of tests by sending a seventh into the Sea of Japan some 12 hours later during rush hour in Japanese cities.

But the missile considered most dangerous to the United States -- the long-range Taepodong-2 potentially capable of hitting targets on the U.S. west coast -- appeared to fail on its first test flight after only 35 seconds and before it entered the second of two-stages, dealing a blow to the North Korean missile program, Japanese and U.S. officials said.

The other six missiles, officials said, were all short or medium range missiles that plunged into waters from 65 to 300 miles off the North Korean coast. The closest missile to Japan was the Taepondong-2 test, which fell within 312 miles of the Japanese coastal city of Niigata. Military analysts familiar with South Korean intelligence data said the tests of at least five of the six smaller missiles shot appeared to go smoothly.

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