U.N. chief voices concern over N. Korean rocket launch

(ATTN: UPDATES with Seoul officials' remarks on N. Korean rocket in paras 8-11)
SEOUL, March 29 (Yonhap) -- U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has again
expressed deep concern about North Korea's plan to launch a rocket early next
month, as South Korea, the U.S. and Japan reportedly reached an agreement to
refer the North to the U.N. Security Council if the communist state goes ahead
with the launch, news reports said Sunday.
Ban, who is visiting Moscow to attend an international conference on Afghanistan,
told reporters that a missile launch by North Korea would complicate peace and
stability in Northeast Asia.
Ban made a similar remark at a U.N. press conference in New York on March 12,
saying he was concerned about North Korea's plan to launch what Pyongyang claims
is a satellite.
"This will threaten the peace and stability in the region," he said.
In early March, North Korea notified international aviation and maritime
organizations of its plan to launch a rocket to send a communications satellite
into space between April 4-8.
The North has emphasized it has a right to develop a peaceful space program,
while Seoul, Washington and Tokyo suspect the launch is a cover to test-fire a
long-range ballistic missile and have underscored that the move would violate
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718.
Last week, the North moved the rocket to the launch pad at its east coast base.
Intelligence officials in Seoul said Sunday that the tip of the North Korean
rocket has been exposed to spy satellites passing overhead, but it is still
difficult to confirm whether the rocket is loaded with a satellite or a warhead.
"Spy satellites have detected the cover for the rocket tip has been removed, but
it is still difficult to clearly determine whether the object is a satellite or a
warhead," said a Seoul official said, asking to remain anonymous.
"We're in the midst of closely analyzing the object on top of the rocket. But we
may not be able to complete its identification before the rocket launch," he
said.
The official said the final launch date will depend on the weather over the
launch site, forecasting snow or rain in the concerned area on April 4. "Cloudy
weather is also forecast for April 5, while sunny sky is expected between April
6-10," said the official.
Top nuclear negotiators from South Korea, the United States and Japan held a
series of bilateral meetings in Washington over the weekend before sharing
consensus that North Korea's planned rocket launch would violate the U.N.
resolution and that therefore they would be referred to the U.N. Security Council
should they proceed.
South Korea's Wi Sung-lac and Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special envoy on North
Korea, held a bilateral meeting at the State Department after Bosworth had a
separate meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Akitaka Saiki.
Emerging from a two-hour meeting with Bosworth, Wi said, "We've discussed ways to
deal with (the rocket issue) at the U.N. Security Council, resume six-party talks
and so on."
Saiki was quoted as saying after his meeting with Wi and Bosworth, "We will
immediately discuss the (North Korean rocket launch) at the U.N. Security
Council."
ycm@yna.co.kr
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