Story highlights South Korea and Japan condemn planned satellite launch

American officials concerned that rocket involved could be used as a weapon

North Korea says it is not bound by international arms-control agreements

(CNN) North Korea has indicated that it will launch a satellite in the coming days, a United Nations agency said, drawing condemnation from South Korea and Japan.

Pyongyang told the International Maritime Organization on Tuesday that it intends to launch an Earth observation satellite between February 8 and 25, IMO spokeswoman Natasha Brown told CNN.

The IMO is responsible for creating frameworks for the safety and security of shipping. North Korea in December 2012 also informed IMO with its launch dates and falling area coordinates weeks before its rocket launch.

The reclusive regime also notified the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on Tuesday that it intends to launch satellite, ITU spokesman Sanjay Acharya said. The ITU registers all satellite transmission frequencies to ensure there is no cross-satellite interference.

While North Korea says it's putting a satellite into orbit, the launch is viewed by others as a front for a ballistic missile test. U.S. officials have said the same type of rocket used to launch the satellite could also be used to fire a long-range missile.