N. Korea rocket launch will violate U.N. resolutions

TOKYO, March 5 Kyodo - Japan and the United States reiterated their warnings to North Korea against a
possible rocket launch, with their top envoys affirming a shared consensus
Thursday that such a launch, be it a missile or what Pyongyang claims to be a
satellite, would be a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, a
Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.

Stephen Bosworth, the new U.S. special representative for policy on North
Korea, and Japan's chief delegate at the six-party talks Akitaka Saiki also
agreed to cooperate closely should the North go ahead with the launch, the
official said. He did not elaborate on details such as whether the two
discussed possible sanctions.
In the talks in Tokyo, the first between Saiki and Bosworth since the latter
was named Washington's point man on North Korea policy, they also discussed how
to coordinate measures among Tokyo, Washington and Seoul on moving forward the
stalled six-way talks aimed at dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear program.
Bosworth reassured Japan of U.S. understanding of Tokyo's request for support
in pressing North Korea to resolve its past abductions of Japanese citizens,
the official said on condition of anonymity.
Saiki also sought details of the new U.S. administration's North Korea policy
and personnel arrangements to ensure smooth bilateral coordination, according
to the official.
Bosworth declined to speak to the press after the talks.
U.S. President Barack Obama dispatched Bosworth to Asia this week to consult
with partners in the stalled six-party talks on the issues of the North's
nuclear and missile programs, and to gather opinions as Washington reviews its
North Korea policy.
Bosworth, a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea and current dean of the
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, arrived in Tokyo from
Beijing earlier on Thursday.
He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Taro Aso, Foreign Minister Hirofumi
Nakasone, and Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura on Friday, and is likely
also to hold talks with Kyoko Nakayama, Aso's special adviser in charge of
abductions by North Korea.
In the Chinese capital, the first leg of his Asia trip, Bosworth reiterated
warnings that North Korea should refrain from a missile launch by saying
Wednesday after meetings with senior Chinese officials that Washington and
Beijing both believe such a launch would be ''not a good idea.''
North Korea has declared that it is ready to put into space the
Kwangmyongsong-2 experimental communications satellite. It says the satellite
will be carried by the launch vehicle Unha-2, which outside experts view as a
redesigned Taepodong-2 missile.
Japanese officials have also said Tokyo will seek additional sanctions against
North Korea should it carry out the launch.
The denuclearization talks involving North and South Korea, China, Japan,
Russia and the United States have been stalled since December due to
differences over ways to verify North Korea's nuclear activities.
Bosworth will travel on to Seoul after his stay in Tokyo.
==Kyodo