Education, Science and Technology Minister Ahn Byong-Man said the government would hold a ceremony on Thursday to celebrate the opening of the Naro Space Centre in Goheung, 475 kilometres (300 miles) south of Seoul.

The centre, which cost 312 billion won (250 million dollars), will on July 30 launch the KSLV-1 rocket, which will put a satellite into orbit.

South Korea has already launched 10 satellites using overseas launch sites.

The rocket, which cost 502.5 billion won, will be the first space vehicle launched from South Korean soil.

Its Russian-built first-stage thruster will arrive next week, Ahn said. Russia also helped design the launch pad. South Korean engineers built the rocket's second stage and the satellite.

"The Naro centre will be the hub for our space development," Ahn told reporters.

Seoul's rival North Korea in April fired a long-range rocket for what it called a peaceful satellite launch.

Other nations said no satellite was detected and the exercise was a disguised test of a long-range missile.

The United Nations Security Council condemned the launch and tightened sanctions, prompting Pyongyang to quit a nuclear disarmament deal and to stage its second atomic test.

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