SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean missiles may be able to strike Hawai'i, U.S. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN.

"In some cases, yes, they could probably get down to Hawai'i," Mullen said on the television network's "Situation Room" program yesterday when he was asked whether North Korea has the ability to reach Hawai'i or Alaska. The West Coast of the U.S. Mainland is still out of the communist nation's range, he said.

North Korea told international agencies earlier this month that it plans to launch what it calls a "peaceful" satellite between April 4 and 8. South Korea suspects the event is a guise to test a ballistic missile. The United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia are pressing North Korea to resume stalled talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear arms program.

In Washington yesterday, South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator reiterated that any North Korean rocket launch would violate a United Nations resolution passed in the wake of a 2006 North Korean nuclear test.

Wi Sung-lac's comments came amid meetings at the State Department with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts meant to coordinate a response to North Korea's planned launch.

Wi would not comment when asked if South Korea agreed with Japan's preparations to shoot down any dangerous objects that fall its way from a rocket launch. He also would not predict what action the U.N. Security Council might take in response.

But he said any launch would be a clear violation of U.N. restrictions, regardless of what is mounted on the rocket.