The statement came after the US’s top commander in the Pacific, Admiral Timothy Keating had said that the US army was ready to shoot down the rocket if ordered.

While the DPRK claims it is preparing all the necessary legal procedures required for the launch of its experimental telecommunications satellite into orbit, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan see it as a cover for testing a ballistic missile, which could affect peace and stability in North- East Asia.

Tokyo, however, has said that it is ready to shoot down the rocket if Pyongyang fires it over Japan’s territory while the RoK’s foreign minister Yu myung-hwan warned on March 29 that the DPRK is likely to face UN sanctions if it launches a ballistic missile.

In an editorial run in a newspaper of the Korea Democratic Labour Party, the DPRK protested over moves by the US, Japan and RoK to bring its planned satellite launch before the UN.

The article emphasised that the launching of the satellite is for peaceful purposes only and will contribute to the country’s prosperity as well as the progress of humankind. The article cited that over the years, many nations have launched thousands of satellites into orbit but have not been brought in front of the UN.