Anchor: The U.S. is warning the international community against taking any action that may endorse North Korea's plan to launch a long-range missile in mid-April. Jang Souie tells us more.

Report: A U.S. State Department official told Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency Wednesday that the United States will not send any observers to North Korea in response to the communist state’s invitation to observe its Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite launch.

The official called on other countries to follow suit, saying that sending observers to the North might be seen as endorsing a launch that would be in blatant defiance of North Korea's international obligations and commitments.

The official said the U.S. is aware of news reports that North Korea has invited other nations to watch its planned rocket launch in mid-April. The official added the U.S. has constantly stated the planned launch would be in "clear violation" of UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874 and threaten peace and security in the region.

The official’s comments indicate the U.S. government’s strong stance against Pyongyang’s rocket launch plan, which it believes is a test run for ballistic missile technology.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Kyodo News reports that North Korea invited eight countries including the U.S., Japan, China, Russia, India, Iran and the European Space Agency to observe its satellite launch.

However, the Japanese daily and Russia's ITAR-TASS News Agency say the space agencies of the US, Japan, Russia and the European Space Agency have turned down the invitation.

Jang Souie, KBS World Radio News.