South Korea's first rocket launch was halted in the eleventh hour due to a minor glitch in its automatic launch system, a ranking government official said Thursday.

"Engineers found the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) had a problem in the software sensor connected to the automatic launch sequence that checks high-pressure tanks," Vice Science and Technology Minister Kim Jung-hyun was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.

However, there was no defect in the hardware related to the high-pressure helium tanks designed to control various valves in the rocket, he said, adding that the sensors probably misinterpreted the data it received.

The official, however, said the 40 engineers of the joint South Korean-Russian Flight Test Committee are currently examining the glitch to see what effects it could have on the safety of the launch. The process can take 1 to 3 days, making it effectively impossible to set another launch date for this week.

The Russian-built rocket carrying a homemade scientific satellite was scheduled to lift off from the Naro Space Center about 485km south of Seoul at 5 p.m. Wednesday, but the countdown stopped with about eight minutes remaining.

South Korea, which has no experience in building space rockets, has been working with Russia to build the KSLV-1, also called the Naro-1.

On setting the new launch date, Kim said that every effort will be made to ensure that the launch takes place as soon as possible, although there will be a need to review all technical issues and the weather. He hinted that the new liftoff date could be set before Aug. 26.

The official said the KSLV-1 can remain on the launch pad without seriously affecting the rocket's systems for five to six days if there is no serious change in weather conditions. He said that both the fuel and oxidation agent tanks have been emptied.