Washington (ANTARA News/AFP) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday urged nuclear-armed North Korea not to go ahead with its planned rocket launch if it wants a "peaceful, better future" for its people.

"We are consulting closely in capitals and at the United Nations in New York and we will be pursuing appropriate action," Clinton said at a press conference with Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba, who echoed her remarks.

"If North Korea wants a peaceful, better future for their people, it should not conduct another launch that would be a direct threat to regional security," the chief US diplomat said.

Gemba also talked of "appropriate" action if North Korea goes ahead with the launch of a rocket it says will put a satellite into orbit -- an event that most of the rest of the world sees as a disguised missile test.

Both top diplomats reiterated that the launch, expected between April 12-16, would violate UN Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874. (*)

Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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