US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said?in Mexico?on Wednesday that it would be a "provocative act" if Pyongyang fires a missile.

The visiting US top diplomat told reporters that Pyongyang "pursue this pathway at a cost and with consequences to the six-party talks, which we would like to see revived."

"We intend to raise this violation of the Security Council resolution, if it goes forward, in the UN," she warned, "This provocative action in violation of the UN mandate will not go unnoticed and there will be consequences."

The Democratic People's republic of Korea (DPRK) declared on Feb. 24 that it was going to launch a communications satellite as part of a peaceful space program. But the US, Japan and South Korea worry the DPRK is going to launch a long-range missile.

The DPRK said that it is entitled to develop its own space program and other countries like the United States have no rights to interfere.

The DPRK said the satellite will be fired by the "Galaxy 2" space launch vehicle in the East Sea Space Launching Base located in Hwadae County, the North Hamgyong province.

But the US, Japan and South Korea suspected the DPRK was going to test-fire ballistic missile "Taepodong-2", which could have a maximum range of 6,700 km.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2009)