Seoul condemns N.K. rocket plan as ‘provocation’

The South Korean government on Monday condemned North Korea’s planned satellite launch as a “grave provocation” aimed at developing a long-range ballistic missile to deliver nuclear weapons.

President Lee Myung-bak convened a foreign affairs and security ministers meeting and was debriefed about the North’s plan, which was announced on Friday.

“Our government sees North Korea’s so-called working satellite launch plan as a grave provocation to develop a long-distance delivery means for nuclear weapons by using ballistic missile technology,” said presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha.

“Taking opportunity of the Nuclear Security Summit, South Korea will work closely with the U.S., Japan, China, Russia and EU over the issue.”

South Korea is to host the March 26-27 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, where leaders from more than 50 countries including U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao will gather to discuss better ways to prevent nuclear terrorism and enhance nuclear security and safety.

North Korea said on Friday it would launch a rocket between April 12 and 16 to put Kwangmyongsong-3 into orbit for peaceful purposes, in celebration of the 100th year since the birth of late founder Kim Il-sung on April 15.

South Korean government officials said the North’s satellite launch would be a breach of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874, which bans “any launch using ballistic missile technology.”

The international community including the U.S., Japan, Russia, EU and even China, the North’s closest ally, share Seoul’s view, urging Pyongyang to drop the plan.

The U.S. said the launch of a long-range rocket would be a “deal-breaker,” referring to the Feb. 29 bilateral agreement under which U.S. food aid was to be offered to the North in exchange for freezing its nuclear programs and a moratorium on long-range missiles.

The North rejected the international pressure on Sunday, claiming the sovereign right to carry out the launch.

South Korea, however, “will still allow humanitarian aid and non-political exchanges with the North, because the North has not launched a satellite yet,” said Unification Ministry spokesperson Kim Hyung-suk.

The ministry’s decision to allow 14 South Korean religious groups to meet with four North Korean religious groups from Monday to March 31 has not changed, he said.

The Defense Ministry said it would not call it a satellite but a long-range rocket.

“We will be in full preparation (for further provocations) because it is highly likely that North Korea could seek another provocation, such as a nuclear test after a long-range rocket launch, as it did in 2009,” Defense Ministry spokesman Yoon Won-sik said.

In 2009, Pyongyang conducted a second nuclear test in May, one month after launching a satellite in April.

In 2006, the North went ahead with a nuclear test in October, three months after launching a long-range rocket in July.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)