North Korea vows to go ahead with satellite launch plans

[1]

North Korea says it will go ahead with plans to launch an observation satellite into space and that criticism of it is provocative.

North Korea said on Friday it would launch the satellite on a rocket next month.

The US, South Korea and Japan condemn the plan as a disguised test of military missiles because the same type of rocket is used to launch long-range missiles.

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said on Sunday such criticism is a 'sinister' provocation by ;hostile forces'.

It says North Korea has a right to peaceful development in space.

The North says the hostile forces are 'sadly mistaken' if they think it will cancel the launch plans.

Pyongyang said on Saturday it has notified international agencies of its plans.