A top North Korean diplomat in the United States says his country will push forward with its satellite launch as planned.

Kim Myong-gil, minister at the North’s U.N. mission, made the comment when he met with South Korean journalists at an international academic forum held in Atlanta Thursday.

Kim said the North’s planned satellite launch is not a matter of negotiation, adding that his country has the independent and universal right to send a satellite into orbit.

Kim also said that Pyongyang does not recognize the U.N. resolution that prohibits the North from ballistic missile activity.

Meanwhile, head of the U.S. State Department’s Korea Desk, Kurt Tong, who also attended the Atlanta forum, said the U.S. would consider a satellite or missile launch a threat and a violation of the U.N. ban since both use similar delivery systems.

Thursday’s academic seminar was organized by the Georgia Institute of Technology and focused on two themes: the six-way nuclear talks and the provision of energy aid to North Korea.

The State Department granted Kim permission to visit Atlanta for the seminar.