North Korea invites 8 nations, Europe to observe satellite launch

North Korea invites 8 nations, Europe to observe satellite launch

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- North Korea has invited the space agencies of eight countries, including Japan, the United States, China and Russia, and the European Space Agency to observe the launch of an Earth observation satellite on a long-distance rocket sometime between April 12 and 16, Japanese government sources said Wednesday.

The invitation to the eight countries and the ESA is seen as Pyongyang's attempt to gain international recognition for North Korea as an advanced nation in space development, the sources said.

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, has declined the invitation, while the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, also informed North Korea on Tuesday that, at the direction of the Japanese Cabinet, no one from the agency will be attending the launch.

While the Japanese government is urging Russia and China to also refrain from attending the event, there are voices within the Japanese government saying that by not attending the launch, Japan ''has missed a prime opportunity to collect information related to the development of missiles'' in North Korea, the sources said. Read More