SEOUL, Mar 20 (AFP): North Korea's new parliament will convene on April 9, one day after the period set aside for a rocket launch, according to state media, in a sign it will seek maximum political mileage from the event.
Analysts said the announcement also indicates Pyongyang's confidence in the success of the upcoming launch, which has raised regional tensions.
"The first session of the 12th SPA (Supreme People's Assembly) will be convened in Pyongyang on April 9," the Korean Central News Agency reported.
The North has told international shipping and aviation bodies it will launch a communications satellite some time between April 4-8.
The US and South Korea say the launch is a pretext to test-fire a long-range missile, in violation of a UN resolution passed after its 2006 missile and nuclear tests.
N Korea assembly to meet one day after missile test
FE Team | Published: March 21, 2009 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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