A model of the first stage of the Naro-1 rocket was raised to the upright position on a launch pad at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, on Friday.

The model is identical to the one that will be used when the Naro-1 is launched on June ninth.

A nation with limited experience launching rockets, such as South Korea, must check all rocket launch procedures beforehand with test models.

Starting next week, the upper stage of the rocket, which was made with Korean technology, will be attached to the first stage of the Naro, which was imported from Russia. The assembly is slated to be completed by late May.

The Naro Space Center also conducted a safety training exercise to ensure that all aircraft are notified and able to avoid the expected trajectory of the Naro after it is launched.

In August last year, South Korea failed in its first attempt to put a satellite into orbit aboard the Naro due to a technical glitch.