N. Korea expected to launch rocket ahead of elections: source

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By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- North Korea will likely complete preparations to
launch what it claims is a satellite ahead of its rubber-stamp parliamentary
elections next month, a South Korean source said Tuesday.
"The assessment of the preparations shows that (preparations) could end in a week
or two," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not
authorized to speak to reporters.
The elections, in which North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is almost certain to
reaffirm his authority over the country's 1.2-million-strong military after a
reported stroke last year, are set for March 8.
North Korea said earlier in the day it is preparing to launch a satellite,
rebuffing outside intelligence that it is moving to test-fire its longest-range
missile, the Taepodong-2.
The source said the suspected missile has yet to be mounted on the launch pad at
the Musudan-ri missile base on the east coast, but added the North appears to be
assembling radars and other monitoring equipment.
Experts believe it would take the North days to complete the injection of fuel
into a Taepodong-2 missile, which has an estimated range of over 6,700 kilometers
-- threatening Alaska and Hawaii.
An earlier version of the missile crashed soon after takeoff in a July 2006
launch. South Korea said this week that the North has taken additional measures
to fix the glitches.
"The North appears to be installing radars and measuring equipment that would
monitor the course and impact point after the missile is launched," the source
said, citing a flurry of activity.
"The missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2, has yet to be set up at the launch
pad," he said, anticipating the North will likely exhibit more clear moves soon.
North Korea conducted its first known atomic test in 2006, but neighbors play
down the likelihood of the country having developed the technology to tip a
missile with a nuclear warhead.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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