An official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Thursday that interception of the country's satellite launch constitutes an act of war, the official news agency KCNA reported.

A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said the satellite is "peaceful in nature" and intercepting it "is bound to entail tremendous catastrophe."

South Korea said Monday that the military will track and intercept the launch if it strays and falls into its territory.

Japanese Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka has also ordered similar measures.

The DPRK has said it would launch the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite between April 12 and 16 to celebrate the centenary of the birth of its late leader Kim Il Sung (1912-1994).

The plan has raised serious concerns among the international community, with the United Nations, South Korea, Japan and the United States calling on the DPRK to reconsider or suspend the plan.