A Washington-based source says North Korea notified the United States before Kim Jong-il’s death last December of its plan to launch the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite.

The source said Tuesday that a North Korean official notified the U.S. of the launch plan on December 15th, three days before Kim's death.

The source said that in response, a U.S. government official told North Korea that the satellite launch would be a direct breach of a UN Security Council resolution.

The source said despite the U.S. warnings and its recent decision to provide food aid to the North, the North's announcement to pursue the launch is an example of the current regime's decision to carry out policies devised under Kim Jong-il.