SEOUL, March 25 (UPI) -- North Korea towed a long-range rocket to a launch pad amid international concerns it was a military exercise, South Korean officials in Seoul said Sunday.
The North Korean government has said in recent weeks the rocket is not part of its defense program, but rather meant to launch a commemorative satellite, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
A South Korean military intelligence official whose name was not reported told the news agency there was evidence the rocket, also capable of launching long-range missiles, was taken by train to the launch site in the northwestern province of North Pyongan.
North Korea has issued statements saying the rocket's launch will occur sometime in April to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founding father Kim Il Sung, Yonhap said.
U.S. and South Korean officials have voiced distrust, alleging the rocket is part of a ballistic missile test.
The news emerged a day before dozens of world leaders convene in Seoul for the two-day Nuclear Security Summit.
