North Korea to launch rocket

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PYONGYANG, North Korea, April 7 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and a group of U.S. Republican congressmen have called for a united international response to North Korea's rocket launch.

Lee and the congressmen said Friday the rocket launch violates a U.N. resolution under which North Korea agreed to suspend nuclear and missile tests and halt uranium enrichment in exchange for food aid from the United States, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"President Lee and the U.S. congressmen shared an understanding that North Korea's long-range rocket launch plan is a clear violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution and a serious damaging of the Feb. 29 U.S-North Korea agreement, and should be dealt with through a united response of the international community based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance," the president's office said in a statement.

Nonetheless, North Korea is expected to fire an Unha-3 long-range rocket between April 12 and 16 to carry what it claims is a satellite into orbit. The United States and South Korea believe the launch is aimed at testing the North's ballistic missile technology.