Foreign Minister Taro Aso confirmed Friday the government has information indicating Pyongyang has moved a long-range ballistic missile closer to a launchpad at a military base in northeastern North Korea, in apparent preparation for launch.

Asked if North Korea will actually launch the missile, which may be a Taepodong, Aso told a House of Representatives committee that the vehicle was not yet ready for launch because it had not yet been filled with liquid fuel.

"If (the fuel) is liquid, the start of (fueling) would mean an imminent launch," Aso told the committee. "But we cannot say anything about (a possible launch) at this stage, as fueling has not yet begun."