North Korea is another step closer to the unusual and
provocative move of launching a long-range rocket in wintertime,
according to an analysis of satellite images by a U.S. academic
website. Using commercial satellite imagery, the website 38
North says that trailers carrying the first two stages of one of
the North's Unha rockets can be seen near the main missile
assembly building at the Sohae Satellite Launch Station on the
country's west coast. The analysis published Thursday by 38
North, which is run by the School of Advanced International
Studies at Johns Hopkins University, follows the release of an
image this week by the satellite imagery company DigitalGlobe
that showed increased activity at the launch station. The
developments shown in the images suggest North Korea could carry
out a rocket launch as soon as "the latter half of the first
week of December, weather permitting," 38 North said. Such a
move would be surprising and unprecedented, since the nuclear-
armed North hasn't before tried to launch