S. Korea postpones rocket launch minutes before blast-off

South Korea yesterday postponed the launch of its first space rocket just eight minutes before the scheduled blast-off, due to an unspecified technical fault.

Mission controllers suspended the launch at 4.52 p.m. (0752 GMT) and began dumping fuel, the science ministry said. It was the seventh time since 2002 that the project, operated in partnership with Russia, has been delayed.

The Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1, which was due to put a satellite into orbit, was reattached to the launch pad.

"There was a problem in the automatic launch sequence that caused the launch to be called off," said Korea Aerospace Research Institute head Lee Joo-Jin, without giving details.

He told Yonhap news agency a new date would be set after consultation with experts from Russia, which manufactured the rocket's first stage.

A successful launch would make South Korea the tenth country to put a satellite into orbit using its own rocket.

Seoul has invested 502.5 billion won (€296.987 billion) and much national pride in the 33-metre rocket, whose second stage was built by local engineers.

Seoul also built the 100-kilogram scientific research satellite atop the rocket at the Naro Space Centre at Goheung, 475 kilometres south of Seoul.

North Korea, smarting over UN Security Council censure of its own rocket launch in April, had said it would watch closely to see whether world powers also refer the South Korean launch to the Council.

Pyongyang insists it was unfairly punished for its April 5 launch, saying it merely put a peaceful communications satellite into orbit.

Washington and its allies say no satellite was detected in orbit and the North's launch was a disguised test of a Taepodong-2 missile.

Seoul has bristled at any comparisons with its neighbour's operation, insisting its own launch is purely for scientific purposes.

"The South Koreans have developed their programme in a very open and transparent way, and in keeping with the international agreements that they have signed on to," US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.

"This is in stark contrast to the example set by North Korea, which has not abided by its international agreements."