Prime Minister Taro Aso and his British counterpart, Gordon Brown, have agreed that the rocket launch North Korea is planning would violate a U.N. Security Council resolution against the communist country.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Aso and Brown reaffirmed during a 20-minute telephone conversation Sunday night that North Korea should refrain from the launch.

Pyongyang claims the launch is for sending a satellite into orbit, but Japan and its allies suspect it's a cover for a ballistic missile test.