North Korean officials said Wednesday they've begun injecting fuel right into a rocket for an imminent space launch, raising the stakes in an escalating standoff with its regional neighbors and the usa.
Paek Chang Ho, chief of North Korea's launch command center, announced the action to a visiting group of international reporters, saying fuel was being loaded into the rocket as he spoke. The journalists, who visited the launch site Sunday, were ready to view the activity by video, which was fed live to the remote command center Wednesday.
Paek also said a weather satellite have been installed at the rocket, that's set for launch sometime between Thursday and Monday, looking on climatic conditions. The video showed a tarpaulin draped excessive of the rocket, making that claim impossible to ensure.
The scheduled launch has angered lots of North Korea's neighbors, which see the action as ploy to check a ballistic missile which could later be fitted with a nuclear warhead.
Ryu Gum Chol, deputy director of North Korea's space program, told a reporter from VOA's Korean service that the sole purpose of the launch is space exploration.
"It sort of feels to me that your worries are unfounded. I reckon that the timing is essential now, and you may know everything when you attend the April 15 centenary of the birth of former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung," he said. "The rocket we now have developed is purely for the point of space exploration, so as to claim it's for ballistic missile development is illogical."
But U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the launch has raised doubts about North Korea's claims that it desires to improve ties with its neighbors and america.
In a speech Tuesday on the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Clinton noted that the launch comes just weeks after Pyongyang agreed to suspend its nuclear and missile programs.
"The rate of the turnaround raises questions on Pyongyang's seriousness in saying that it wants to improve relations with us and its neighbors," said Clinton. "This launch will give credence to the view that North Korean leaders see improved relations with the exterior world as a threat to the existence in their system. And up to date history strongly means that additional provocations may follow.''
U.S. officials fear that Pyongyang will be planning to follow the launch with what can be its third underground nuclear weapons test. Satellite intelligence photographs made available to news organizations this week show evidence of preparations for this type of test.
North Korea's launch plan has derailed a up to date agreement with the us, under which Pyongyang agreed to suspend its nuclear weapons and missile programs. America was to have delivered 240,000 loads of badly needed food aid to the North.
Clinton said Tuesday that by launching the rocket, Pyongyang was breaking that agreement in addition to violating a U.N. Security Council ban on any North Korean ballistic missile testing.
But Ryu said was no clause within the agreement with america banning a calm satellite launch.
"So far as we all know, there isn't a clause about banning peaceful satellite launch included within the agreement of February 29th talks," he said. "i do not believe anything will happen."
Ryu's comment that nothing else will happen is maybe a connection with the reports of a coming nuclear test.
Japan and South Korea have both threatened to check out to shoot down the rocket if it strays over their territory, an action Pyongyang has said would amount to a declaration of war.
The rocket's first stage is planned to fall into the sea about 160 kilometers from the Philippines, prompting that country to reschedule air traffic and order fishing boats to prevent the world.
From WhatNewsToday.net
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