The United States said Tuesday North Korea's planned rocket launch would violate numerous U.N. resolutions and warned of tough international sanctions.

Earlier in the day, the North notified the International Maritime Organization that it will launch an earth observation satellite between Feb. 8-25, confirming widespread concern the communist nation is readying for a banned long-range rocket launch just weeks after its fourth nuclear test.

"This act would violate numerous security council resolutions by utilizing proscribed ballistic missile technolgy. It also comes on the heels of as you know of the Jan. 6 nuclear test, which is itself an egregious violation of U.N. Security Council resoltuions," State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

The international community must impose "real consequences for the regime's destabilizing actions and respond with steadily increasing pressure," Kirby said.

"The Security Council has a key role to play in holding North Korea accountable by imposing a tough, comprehensive and incredible package of new sanctions and by ensuring rigorous enforcement of the resolutions that were already adopted," he said.

"This latest announcement further underscores the need for the international community to send the North Koreans a swift, firm message that its disregard for U.N. Security Council resolutions will not be tolerated," he added. (Yonhap)