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| North Korea hints at long-range rocket launch to mark party anniversary | North Korea hints at long-range rocket launch to mark party anniversary |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| North Korea has hinted at a possible satellite launch, fuelling speculation that it might attempt to fire a long-range rocket to coincide with a key political anniversary in October. | North Korea has hinted at a possible satellite launch, fuelling speculation that it might attempt to fire a long-range rocket to coincide with a key political anniversary in October. |
| Related: North Korea nuclear reactor showing signs of ramp-up, says thinktank | Related: North Korea nuclear reactor showing signs of ramp-up, says thinktank |
| Any such launch would invite fresh international sanctions and jeopardise a reunion being organised with South Korea of families divided by the 1950-53 Korean war. | Any such launch would invite fresh international sanctions and jeopardise a reunion being organised with South Korea of families divided by the 1950-53 Korean war. |
| The North insists its rocket launches are intended to put peaceful satellites into orbit, while the US and its allies see them as disguised ballistic missile tests. | The North insists its rocket launches are intended to put peaceful satellites into orbit, while the US and its allies see them as disguised ballistic missile tests. |
| In an interview with the state-run KCNA news agency the director of the North’s National Aerospace Development Administration said Pyongyang was in the “final phase” of developing a new geo-stationary satellite. | In an interview with the state-run KCNA news agency the director of the North’s National Aerospace Development Administration said Pyongyang was in the “final phase” of developing a new geo-stationary satellite. |
| “The world will clearly see a series of satellites … soaring into the sky at the times and locations determined by the [ruling Workers’ party] central committee,” the director was quoted as saying. | “The world will clearly see a series of satellites … soaring into the sky at the times and locations determined by the [ruling Workers’ party] central committee,” the director was quoted as saying. |
| Space development was a sovereign right that North Korea intended to exercise “no matter what others might say about it”, he added. | Space development was a sovereign right that North Korea intended to exercise “no matter what others might say about it”, he added. |
| He made no mention of any specific schedule but there has been widespread speculation that the North might launch a satellite on 10 October to mark the 70th anniversary of the Workers’ party being founding. | He made no mention of any specific schedule but there has been widespread speculation that the North might launch a satellite on 10 October to mark the 70th anniversary of the Workers’ party being founding. |
| Expert analysis of recent satellite images suggests North Korea has completed upgrades at its main Sohae satellite launch site. | Expert analysis of recent satellite images suggests North Korea has completed upgrades at its main Sohae satellite launch site. |
| Analysts at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said they believed the launchpad at Sohae was now capable of handling rockets up to 50 metres (165ft) in length – almost 70% longer than the Unha-3 rocket the North sent into space in December 2012. | Analysts at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said they believed the launchpad at Sohae was now capable of handling rockets up to 50 metres (165ft) in length – almost 70% longer than the Unha-3 rocket the North sent into space in December 2012. |
| However the same analysts have stressed that none of the satellite images examined so far have shown activity to suggest a rocket launch might be imminent. | However the same analysts have stressed that none of the satellite images examined so far have shown activity to suggest a rocket launch might be imminent. |
| North Korea has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range rocket. After several failures it used one to put its first satellite into space in late 2012. The UN said it was a banned test of ballistic missile technology and imposed sanctions. Experts say that ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technology. | North Korea has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range rocket. After several failures it used one to put its first satellite into space in late 2012. The UN said it was a banned test of ballistic missile technology and imposed sanctions. Experts say that ballistic missiles and rockets in satellite launches share similar bodies, engines and other technology. |
| An angry North Korea then conducted its third nuclear test in February 2013, inviting further international condemnation and sanctions. | An angry North Korea then conducted its third nuclear test in February 2013, inviting further international condemnation and sanctions. |
| When asked about Monday’s statement a US State Department spokesman said any satellite launch by the North using ballistic missile technology would be a “clear violation” of the security council resolutions but would not be drawn on speculation about “possible provocative actions by the DPRK”. | When asked about Monday’s statement a US State Department spokesman said any satellite launch by the North using ballistic missile technology would be a “clear violation” of the security council resolutions but would not be drawn on speculation about “possible provocative actions by the DPRK”. |
| South Korea’s defence ministry said firing a long-range missile would represent a “serious” violation of UN resolutions, but added it had not detected any signs indicating North Korea was preparing such a launch. | South Korea’s defence ministry said firing a long-range missile would represent a “serious” violation of UN resolutions, but added it had not detected any signs indicating North Korea was preparing such a launch. |
| Japan urged North Korea on Tuesday to refrain from taking provocative action and said Japan would continue to co-operate with the United States and South Korea. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese government’s top spokesman, told a news conference that North Korea should comply with UN security council resolutions. | |
| If the North does go ahead with a rocket launch on or around the ruling party anniversary it would almost certainly scupper an inter-Korean family reunion planned for 20-26 October. | If the North does go ahead with a rocket launch on or around the ruling party anniversary it would almost certainly scupper an inter-Korean family reunion planned for 20-26 October. |
| The decision to hold family reunions was part of an inter-Korean deal struck after cross-border tensions had come close to boiling over into outright conflict. | The decision to hold family reunions was part of an inter-Korean deal struck after cross-border tensions had come close to boiling over into outright conflict. |
| – With Reuters, AFP and AP |