South Korea’s defense ministry vowed it is preparing to shoot down a North Korean rocket if it strays into the South’s territory during a launch planned for next month

South Korea’s defense ministry vowed Monday it is preparing to shoot down a North Korean rocket if it strays into the South's territory during a launch planned for next month.
  
The South Korean and US militaries are closely monitoring activity at the Tongchang-ri base, a ministry spokesman said, a day after Seoul confirmed the main body of a rocket had been moved to the site in the North's northwest.
  
Seoul is concerned that the first stage of the rocket, scheduled to drop into the Yellow Sea between South Korea and China, may fall onto the South's territory, the spokesman said.
  
"We are preparing measures to track the missile's trajectory and shoot it down if it, by any chance, deviates from the planned route and falls into our territory," he said without elaborating. Japan has said it may do likewise if the rocket strays over its territory.
  
The North has announced it will fire the rocket to put a satellite into orbit between April 12 and 16 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of founding president Kim Il-Sung. The nuclear-armed state insists it has a right to launch a satellite for peaceful purposes.

US President Barack Obama, visiting Seoul for a nuclear security summit, said Sunday the launch would jeopardize a recent US offer for food aid in return for a partial nuclear freeze and a missile test moratorium.
  
South Korea President Lee Myung-Bak discussed the issue in talks Monday with China's President Hu Jintao. "The two leaders shared their concern over North Korea's announced plan to launch a satellite and agreed to continue discussions closely for the North to withdraw the plan," the South's Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan told a briefing.