PYONGYANG, North Korea — Officials said Tuesday that a rocket built to carry a satellite into space was ready for liftoff this week, as the nation’s leadership makes a series of appointments before a major political gathering.
Workers’ Party delegates are scheduled to convene today for the fourth conference of North Korea’s ruling political party, where new leader Kim Jong-Un is expected to inherit titles once held by his father, the late Kim Jong-Il.
North Korea celebrates the 100th anniversary of late President Kim Il-Sung’s birth on Sunday, a major milestone in the country he founded. Space officials told foreign journalists that the launch of the three-stage rocket is on target to take place between Thursday and Monday as part of the centennial birthday commemorations.
The United States, Britain, Japan and others have urged North Korea to cancel the launch, saying it would be considered a violation of U.N. resolutions prohibiting the country from nuclear and ballistic missile activity. Experts say the Unha-3 carrier is the same type of rocket that would be used to launch a long-range missile aimed at the U.S. or other targets.
The Associated Press
