AFP - US and Japanese envoys to the six-party North Korean disarmament negotiations have begun consultations here ahead of the communist regime's expected missile launch.

"All issues concerning North Korea will be part of our discussion with the Japanese," State Department spokesman Robert Wood told AFP.

He confirmed that Stephen Bosworth, the new US envoy on North Korea, and Sung Kim, the representative to the disarmament talks, began meeting with the Japanese envoy, Akitaka Saiki, here Friday.

Global concern has been mounting about North Korea's announcement it would launch a communications satellite between April 4 and 8.

The United States, Japan and other allies believe Pyongyang is actually testing a missile that could, in theory, cross the Pacific to reach Alaska in North America.

A top US general last week said the United States could shoot down the projectile if it was determined to be a ballistic missile, and Japan also said it would try to shoot down any rocket heading for its territory.

At the same time, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen warned that the North Korean rocket has a range that could possibly reach the US state of Hawaii.

Meanwhile, Saiki told reporters in Washington following the meeting that no matter what reasons North Korea gives, "the act of launching violates the UN Security Council resolution."

"If such provocative action is taken, we will immediately take it at the Security Council," added the Japanese envoy.

Japan gave its military the green light on Friday to shoot down any incoming North Korean rocket. And Japanese and US warships have already deployed ahead of the April 4-8 window.

Pyongyang has resisted pressure to call off the launch and warned that any attempt to shoot down the rocket would be regarded as an act of war.

China, meanwhile, has called on all sides to exercise restraint and return to the stalled six-nation nuclear talks, which group China, the United States, North and South Korea, Japan and Russia.

The Japanese-US meeting was due to be followed by one between the two US diplomats and Wi Sung-lak, the chief South Korean negotiator.

The US, South Korean and Japanese envoys were due to hold a trilateral gathering later over dinner.

Their first three-way meeting since US President Barack Obama took office would aim to show their unified stance against North Korea's planned rocket launch, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported Tuesday quoting unnamed sources.