The United States has begun consulting with members of the U.N. Security Council on what actions to take in the event North Korea launches a rocket.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said during a speech in Washington Thursday that North Korea would be violating U.N. Security Council resolutions even if it launches a satellite, as Pyongyang claims. He added that the U.S. is discussing necessary countermeasures with not only the members of the six-way nuclear talks but also with the Security Council.

Steinberg’s remarks draw attention as they confirm that Washington has begun making preparations to take the North’s rocket launch issue to the Security Council.

Steinberg said the North’s rocket launch would clearly be unhelpful for efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and normalize North Korea-U.S. relations.

But he added that Washington will continuously seek the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the six-way nuclear talks, even if the North does proceed with its launch plans.