The U.S. State Department said North Korea's planned rocket launch is "highly provocative" and would directly violate Pyongyang's international obligations. In a surprise announcement Friday, North Korea said it plans in April to launch a satellite into space atop a long-range rocket. Proceeding with the launch could jeopardize a weeks-old agreement with the United States that exchanges food aid for nuclear and missile concessions. A U.N. resolution prohibits North Korea from launching ballistic missiles. Pyongyang agreed to a moratorium on long-range missile launches as part of the deal with Washington, but it argues that its satellite launches are part of a peaceful space program that is exempt from any international disarmament agreements. The United States, South Korea, and other countries say the rocket technology overlaps with belligerent uses, and they condemn the satellite program as a disguised way of testing military missiles in defiance of the U.N. ban.
