S. Korea to reroute flights on N. Korean rocket path

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea said on Monday that it plans to reroute passenger flights over the Yellow Sea to avoid possible collisions with debris from a long-range rocket that North Korea plans to launch this month.

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said it made the decision after learning that North Korea had informed China and Singapore of the flight path and other details of the launch.

North Korea told those nations the rocket would be launched in the morning and its debris would fall into the Yellow Sea and in waters east of the Philippines.

The International Maritime Organisation said on Monday that North Korea had informed it that it planned to launch a satellite between Dec 10 to Dec 22 during the hours of 7am (6am Singapore time) and noon. The North provided a list of dangerous coordinates where debris could fall.