Norht Korea leader inspects rocket launch site with key party officials

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a rocket launching site in the country's northwestern region accompanied by key party officials in charge of nuclear and missile development, Pyongyang's state-run television showed Thursday.

Kim had observed facilities at the Dongchang-ri launch site where North Korea on Sunday launched a long-range rocket carrying what it called a satellite, according to documentary footage aired by the North's Korean Central Television.

His inspection is seen as having been made before the North lifted off its rocket, a move which Seoul and Washington view as a cover for a banned test of intercontinental ballistic missile technology.

The footage showed North Korea's Air Force One flying Kim to the area and a scene of the leader having a discussion with his party officials on the plane, spawning speculation that the North's leader may have used the Ilyushin IL-62 plane to visit the launch site.

Kim's entourage included Ri Man-gon, who is presumed to have replaced Kim Chun-sop as the director handling munitions in the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

The leader was also accompanied by Pak To-chun, former secretary of the munitions industry department, and Hong Yong-chil, deputy director of the machine-building industry department. Hong is suspected of having led the North's fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6.

North Korea claimed that its possession of nuclear bombs is for self-defense against the United States. It also said that it has the sovereign right to pursue a space development program by launching a rocket carrying a satellite.

But experts said that long-range rockets and intercontinental ballistic missiles are basically the same with differences only in payloads. (Yonhap)