The South Korean foreign ministry has urged North Korea to immediately withdraw plan to launch its first military reconnaissance satellite.

A ministry official in Seoul on Wednesday said that the government strongly urges North Korea to heed the international community's warnings and concerns and to immediately withdraw its launch plan and comply with international obligations such as the U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The official stressed that the North's launch of the so-called military reconnaissance satellites is not only a clear violation of multiple Security Council resolutions, but also an act of provocation that threatens peace and security in the region.

Long-range rockets for launching satellites and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are basically the same in terms of the technology, and Security Council resolutions prohibit any launch by North Korea using ballistic missile technology.

The official said that the Seoul government will continue to cooperate with the international community to ensure that North Korea pay a heavy price for its illegal provocations, while maintaining a strong combined defense posture with the U.S. 

The statement came after the North Korean media reported that leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday ordered officials to make preparations to launch its first military reconnaissance satellite as planned.