North Korea notifies Japan of satellite launch between November 22 and December 1

If carried out, it would mark a third attempt by the nuclear-armed state this year to put a spy satellite into orbit.

Two previous attempts to place what would be North Korea's first spy satellite into orbit failed, and after the last attempt in August, North Korea's scientists had promised to try again in October.

The launch would be the first since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare trip abroad in September and toured Russia's most modern space launch centre, where President Vladimir Putin promised to help Pyongyang build satellites.