South Korea plans to hold separate talks with China and Russia soon in a last-minute effort to thwart the bid by Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to launch a long-range rocket, local media reported Tuesday.

The DPRK is pressing ahead with preparations for the launch of a three-stage rocket mounted with a satellite despite a "technical deficiency" that forced the country to extend the launch period by another week until Dec. 29.

It marks the DPRK's second bid of the year to put a satellite into orbit, which the United States and its allies call a disguised ballistic missile test. South Korea has expressed "grave concern" over the widely condemned plan, and Japan pledged to shoot down the rocket if it threatens its territory.

Pyongyang, whose previous mission in April ended in failure, has countered that the launch is for peaceful scientific purposes only.

In a diplomatic effort to stop the imminent launch, South Korea's top nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam is expected to meet Wednesday with his Russian counterpart Igor Morgulov to discuss ways to prevent what they see as a violation of UN resolutions, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Separately, Kim Bong-hyun, South Korea's deputy minister for multilateral and global affairs, is scheduled to visit China next Monday for talks with Chinese officials over the launch plan, Yonhap reported.

Both the first anniversary of the death of late DPRK leader Kim Jong Il and South Korea's presidential election fall within the extended launch window.

The DPRK had said its April launch was to mark the 100th birthday of late DPRK founder Kim Il Sung. The long-range rocket crashed into the sea shortly after the liftoff.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)