HispanicBusiness

North Korea extended the launch widow of a long-range rocket by a week because of a "technical deficiency," state media said Monday.

The first day of the launch widow was Monday, and its end date was extended from December 22 to December 29, the Korean Central News Agency said, citing the Korean Committee of Space Technology.

North Korea said it would go ahead with the launch, which has come under international condemnation. "They, however, found a technical deficiency in the first-stage control engine module of the rocket carrying the satellite and decided to extend the satellite launch period up to December 29," the report said.

North Korea said the purpose of the launch was to put a satellite into orbit, but the United States, South Korea and other countries charged that it is conducting the launch to develop nuclear missiles and it would violate UN Security Council resolutions.