White House to issue response to N. Korean rocket: source

   WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- The White House will soon issue a formal response to North Korea's multistage rocket launch, a diplomatic source said Thursday.

   Officials at both the State Department and the Defense Department said they have nothing to say for now regarding the reports of the North's rocket launch.

   The White House is in charge of releasing the initial response of the U.S. administration, the source told Yonhap News Agency.

   Tommy Vietor, the spokesman for the National Security Council, did not provide an immediate reply to Yonhap's inquiry.

   Meanwhile, U.S. media reported that the U.S. government has confirmed the North's rocket launch, citing an unnamed official.