The Unification Ministry says it is closely monitoring signs that North Korea might be preparing to launch a long-range missile.

Ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyoun on Thursday told a regular news briefing that the Seoul government will devise its response to the North's movements under the basic principle that it seeks stable inter-Korean relations.

Earlier on Tuesday, Pyongyang’s Korean Committee of Space Technology said full preparations are under way to launch its “Gwangmyeongseong Two” satellite on its rocket “Eunha Two.”

South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, however, warned that even a satellite launch by the North would be a violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution that bans all activities related to missile development.