North Korean leader Kim Jong-il appears to be in Pyongyang as his country prepares to go ahead with its rocket launch, following state media reports on Sunday of his field guidance in the capital.
Kim's public appearance was last reported on March 28 when he visited machinery plants in South and North Pyongan Provinces, a relatively long interval. His public tours had been reported almost daily in recent weeks.
North Korea said on Saturday morning that it would "soon" launch what it calls communications satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 from its northeast coast. The launch has yet to occur amid speculation that strong winds at the launch site may have caused the delay.