海角大神

Super Bowl surprise? Why North Korea may be launching its rocket early

North Korea could launch as early as Sunday. Theories abound for why the country changed the time frame and what consequences it could face.

A North Korean rocket launch could be as early as Sunday 鈥� during the US Super Bowl, according to South Korean and Japanese officials.

Japan and South Korea have announced that North Korea has moved up the launch window for its missile launch to sometime this coming week. Originally, North Korea had told the International Maritime Organization (IMO) it would launch a rocket carrying an observation satellite into space sometime between Feb. 8 and Feb 25.

The launch date change follows weeks of international pressure to cancel the launch, especially from South Korea, Japan, and the United States, who cite fears that聽North Korea is using the satellite launch as an excuse to test new long-range missiles.聽

鈥淭his argues even more strongly for action by the UN security council and the international community to impose real consequences for the destabilizing action that the DPRK has taken, is taking, and to raise the cost to the leaders through the imposition of tough additional sanctions,鈥� Daniel Russel, assistant US secretary of state for East Asian & Pacific affairs, said聽at a news briefing Friday.

Predictions about North Korea鈥檚 early launch started as early as Friday. A US think tank, , saw signs of early fueling activity, after reviewing satellite images, of tanker trunks at the North Korean launch site.聽

South Korean analysts say the early launch date could be an effort to launch , according to USA Today. The birthday of late dictator Kim Jong Il is on Feb. 16. Kim Jong-un could be trying to honor his father鈥檚 birthday by completing the rocket launch before it. North Korean leadership is known for being sensitive to symbolic gestures.

An official of the Korea Meterological Administration offered a more logistical rationale for the launch: clear skies. South Korea鈥檚 weather agency expects rain or snow in the launch area on Monday, Thursday, and the following Saturday, according to the Associated Press.

海角大神 earlier reported on the prestige associated with the North Korean space program. In the tense rivalry between North and South Korea, being seen as first in any achievement could be politically advantageous for the North's leadership.

鈥淚 think聽its desire to launch satellites is real," David Wright, co-director and senior scientist with the Global Security Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists,聽told the AP. "This is partly for prestige, and it was of course a huge deal that it put something into orbit before South Korea.鈥澛�

What is also uncertain is what聽repercussions聽North Korea will face for further breaking from the international community.

On Friday, President Barack Obama spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping by telephone about the approaching launch.

"The leaders to North Korea鈥檚 provocations, including through an impactful UN Security Council Resolution,鈥� the White House said.

However, a recent UN panel found that the current framework of , The Japan Times reported.

鈥淕iven the stated intentions of the Democratic People鈥檚 Republic of Korea, its continued efforts to enhance the scope of its nuclear and missile programs, as well as to seek international acceptance and legitimacy for these prohibited programs, there are serious questions about the efficacy of the current United Nations sanctions regime,鈥� the UN report says.