N. Korean rocket shown fully mounted in commercial satellite image

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, March 30 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. research institute has disclosed the latest
commercial satellite image that shows North Korea's rocket mounted onto a launch
pad on the country's east coast.

The image, photographed by DigitalGlobe Sunday morning (Korean time) and obtained
by the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS),
shows the three-stage rocket apparently free of any covering and casting a thick
shadow.
Neighboring countries suspect the rocket may be a missile that could fly as far
as Alaska. North Korea has said it will launch a satellite from the Musudan-ri
site between April 4-8.
On Sunday, an intelligence source in Seoul said the tip of the rocket had just
been uncovered, but it was still difficult to tell whether a space satellite or a
warhead has been mounted.
"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," the
source said, asking not to be named.
The latest image shows the rocket clearly visible from the gantry, the ISIS said
in a statement, adding it is likely that North Korea had previously shrouded the
suspected ballistic missile.
On Monday, the Financial Times quoted South Korean President Lee Myung-bak as
saying he opposes military response to the North's projected rocket launch.
The comment came a day after U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said in
Washington that his country would not attempt an interception unless the rocket
clearly threatened its territory.
Intelligence officials believe North Korea may have implanted an underground
fueling station near the launch pad to make it difficult for outside intelligence
to determine the exact timing of the launch.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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