SEOUL, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) erected a taller launch pad for long-range rocket at a rocket base near the west coast, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported Wednesday citing a government official.
Extension works for the 67-meter-high launch tower was nearly completed recently in Tongchang-ri in the DPRK's northwest, the official was quoted as saying. The works began in late 2013 to extend the 50-meter launch pad.
With the extension, the DPRK was estimated to be able to fire long-range rockets twice the size of Unha-3, which was fired into space orbit in December 2012, two months before the DPRK's third nuclear test. The 30-meter-long, three-stage Unha rocket was fired from the Tongchang-ri launch pad.
The official was quoted as saying that the DPRK is likely to use the new launch tower to fire a longer-range rocket than the Unha-3 around the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea on Oct. 10.
Signs of producing longer-range rockets were detected at an arms factory near Pyongyang, another official was quoted as saying.
Seoul said U.N. Security Council resolutions have banned all launches based on the DPRK's ballistic missile technology.
Related:
S. Korea regrets DPRK's refusal to security meeting invitation
SEOUL, July 20 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Monday expressed deep regrets over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s refusal to Seoul's invitation to a regional security conference set to be held in September.
South Korea's Defense Ministry Friday invited the DPRK to the Seoul Defense Dialogue, a vice ministerial-level regional security forum launched in 2012 by Seoul. This year's forum is slated for three days from September 9. Full Story
S. Korea invites DPRK to Seoul-hosted regional security forum
SEOUL, July 17 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's Defense Ministry said Friday that it has invited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to a Seoul-hosted regional security forum scheduled for September.A ministry official said by phone that the country asked the DPRK to participate in the Seoul Defense Dialogue, a vice ministerial-level regional security forum launched in 2012 by South Korea to discuss ways of building military trust in the Asia- Pacific region. Full Story
