WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- The top defense officials of the United States and Japan held telephone consultations Tuesday over a potential missile launch by North Korea later this month, the Pentagon said.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and his Japanese counterpart, Naoki Tanaka, discussed "developments related to North Korea's announcement that it plans to conduct a missile launch in mid-April," Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters.

"Secretary Panetta and Defense Minister Tanaka reiterated their view that such a missile launch would directly violate North Korea's international obligations and U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874," he said. "They also affirmed the importance of the U.S.-Japan Alliance in defense of Japan and in contributing to regional peace and security."

They agreed to continue close contact before and after a possible launch, he said.

The North announced that it would launch a rocket, which it claims is aimed at putting a satellite into orbit.

"The main point, again, is to try to emphasize very clearly to the North Koreans that they have international obligations that they must uphold," Little said.

The State Department also made clear that the North's move would breach U.N. Security Council resolutions that prohibit it from being involved in ballistic missile activity.

"Any kind of missile launch of any kind is of great concern and would be a violation, in our view, of U.N. Security Council resolutions," department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said at a separate briefing.