Japan, S. Korea say N. Korea missile a violation even if for satellite+

SEOUL, March 2 Kyodo - The Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers warned North Korea against a missile launch by reaffirming Monday that such a move, even if it were for a satellite as Pyongyang claims, would be considered a violation of a 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution, South Korean officials said.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said Japanese Foreign
Minister Hirofumi Nakasone and his counterpart Yu Myung Hwan also agreed in
telephone talks to work on preventing the North from taking provocative actions
that raise tensions and threaten the region's peace and security, and to
cooperate closely with the United States and China to that end.
The phone call between the two foreign ministers, who met in person in Seoul
last month, came amid a flurry of diplomatic activity among nations concerned
over North Korea's preparations to test-fire what is believed to be an improved
version of its Taepodong-2 ballistic missile.
North Korea has said it is ready to launch an experimental communication
satellite.
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso suggested Monday that such a launch would
violate the U.N. resolution adopted in 2006, which prohibits North Korea from
engaging in any ballistic missile activities, and lead to possible sanctions.
On Sunday, Nakasone was in Beijing, where he said he agreed with senior Chinese
officials to urge the North not to launch what it says is a satellite.