Japanese media say North Korea is close to test firing a missile within days.

Kyodo News Agency on Friday quoted a U.S. government official as saying an extremely apprehensible situation has occurred in the last 48 hours as Pyongyang has installed part of a missile that is presumably the Daepodong II on a launch site.

The official warned of stern measures including United Nations sanctions if Pyongyang proceeds with the launch, adding Tokyo will join Washington in responding to the matter and demanding that Seoul also join.

Kyodo said whether liquid fuel was injected into the missile is not yet confirmed but that the missile might have been transported to a launch site in a northeastern area of the North.