Pentagon monitoring possible DPRK launch

The Defense Department is closely monitoring the prospect of a satellite launch this month by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), a senior Pentagon official told reporters on Thursday.

George Little, acting assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, said that the U.S. side is "monitoring it closely. We understand the impact it could have on regional stability."

"We're working very closely with our Republic of Korea allies as well as our Japanese allies to monitor" the launch, Little said. "We hope it doesn't happen. But if it does, we'll be ready to track it."

"I believe we have what we need to track [the launch] and to also work closely with our allies in the region to respond," he added.

Little said that the DPRK would be "violating Security Council resolutions if they move ahead with such a launch." He called upon Pyongyang not to go ahead with the launch.

But Little said that the Defense Department is operating on the assumption that the launch could happen. The DPRK has indicated that it intends to launch the satellite, he noted.

"They have done so in the past," Little said, "so if history is any guide to the future, we would be remiss if we didn't take those... announcements for what they are."

The DPRK has said that it would launch the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite between April 12 and 16 to celebrate the centenary of the birth of its late leader Kim Il Sung. The plan has raised serious concerns among the international community, with the United Nations, Republic of Korea, Japan and the United States calling on the DPRK to reconsider or suspend the plan.