North Korea's proposed launch of a satellite, if taken, would violate United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, a state department spokesperson said Thursday, noting a satellite uses the same technology used in ballistic missiles.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un earlier said the country has completed building its first military spy satellite, ordering preparations to launch the satellite as planned, according to reports by North Korean state media.
"Space launch vehicles (SLVs) incorporate technologies identical to, and interchangeable with, those used in ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles," the state department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency in an email, asking not to be identified.
"Any DPRK launch that uses ballistic missile technology, which would include SLVs, violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions," the spokesperson added, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The North's proposed satellite launch follows a series of ballistic missiles tests, while many believe that Pyongyang had previously disguised its intercontinental ballistic missile tests as satellite launches.
Under UNSC resolutions, North Korea is prohibited from acquiring or testing any ballistic missile capabilities.
Source: Yonhap News Agency