The Philippine government on Monday appealed to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to forgo its second attempt to launch a rocket carrying a satellite within the month.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the planned rocket launch violates United Nations resolutions barring Pyongyang from testing ballistic missile technology.

"We strongly urge the Democratic People's Republic of Korea not to proceed with its planned launch and abide by the U.N., Security Council Resolutions which call for the abandonment of its ballistic missile program in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner," DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez told a press briefing.

Defying an U.N. moratorium, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea proceeded with its first rocket launch in April, which was a failure.

Pyongyang defended its rocket launch saying it was intended for peaceful purposes.

Instability in the Korean Peninsula has long worried the Philippines as there are about 50,000 Filipinos working in South Korea and at least 116,000 in neighboring Japan. Endi

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