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  North Korea advances rocket launch, likely today

North Korea advances rocket launch, likely today

Published : Feb 7, 2016, 5:12 am IST
Updated : Feb 7, 2016, 5:12 am IST

North Korea’s widely-condemned launch of a long-range rocket could happen within a matter of hours, after Pyongyang shortened and brought forward the start of the launch window to Sunday morning.

North Korea’s widely-condemned launch of a long-range rocket could happen within a matter of hours, after Pyongyang shortened and brought forward the start of the launch window to Sunday morning.

An updated notification sent by Pyongyang to UN agencies on Saturday — a copy of which was released by the South Korean government — said the launch would now take place between February 7-14.

The initial window announced by the North on Tuesday had been February 8-25. The planned satellite launch has been slammed by the international community as a disguised ballistic missile test that amounts to another serious violation of UN resolution, following the North’s nuclear test in January.

The brief updated notice sent by Pyongyang offered no reason for the date change. Any launch would now take place before the February 16 birthday of late leader Kim Jong-Il, the father of current leader Kim Jong-Un. The North insists its space programme is purely scientific in nature, but the United States and allies, including South Korea, say its rocket launches are aimed at developing an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the US mainland.

UN sanctions prohibit North Korea from any launch using ballistic missile technology.

Predictions of an imminent launch have been bolstered by recent satellite images of fuel tankers at the Sohae satellite launch complex.

Location: South Korea, Seoul