N. Korea set to launch rocket in hours

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- North Korea may launch its rocket in a matter of hours, South Korean officials said Saturday, as the communist state appears to have set up recording equipment around the launch pad.

"The satellite will be launched soon," the North's Korean Central News Agency said.
The officials declined to speak about the specific functions of the equipment,
but Hong Il-hee, a researcher at South Korea's state-run Korea Aerospace Research
Institute, said cameras are usually positioned to record a takeoff before a
rocket launch.
Coinciding with the preparation, North Korea said through its official media that
its preparations to launch the rocket are "complete."
A senior South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official said his military has
convened an emergency meeting, adding he also expects the launch within the day.
The government has convened a separate urgent meeting of senior officials
involved in security and diplomatic relations, other officials said.
South Korea, Japan and the United States say North Korea may in fact be preparing
to test-fire a ballistic missile capable of hitting Alaska. North Korea is banned
from such tests under a U.N. Security Council resolution.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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