The United States said on Monday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should not launch a long-range missile and return to the six-party talks.

"We and our partners in the six-party process continue strongly to urge North Korea not to launch a long-range missile and, instead, to return to the six-party talks," State Department spokeswoman Julie Reside said in a statement.

The spokeswoman said that the United States has no intention of invading the DPRK. However, "should North Korea take the provocative action of launching a missile, the United States would respond appropriately, including by taking the necessary measures to protect ourselves," she said.

Japanese and South Korean media have claimed that the DPRK might be prepared to test-fire a long-range missile. The United States has expressed serious concern over the possibility and threatened that the launch would not be without cost for the DPRK.

Source: Xinhua