WASHINGTON, Feb. 4-- The United States is seeking international support for imposing tougher sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"We all like to see there is a strong international consensus here, to hold the North (DPRK) to account for these continuing destabilizing activities, specifically for the test in early January," State Department spokesman John Kirby told a briefing on U.S. foreign policy Thursday.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated since the DPRK conducted a hydrogen bomb test on Jan. 6, which aroused international criticism.

On Tuesday, the DPRK informed three UN entities of its intentions to launch an earth-observation satellite between Feb. 8 and 25.

The United States condemned the DPRK's new satellite launch plan, urging the international community to swiftly respond to what it called "another irresponsible provocation." It also vowed to impose new sanctions on Pyongyang.

"I will not specify what those measures ought to be," Kirby said. "We are pursuing in the U.N., the possible development of additional tougher sanctions."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday called on the DPRK to refrain from using "ballistic missile technology," according to his deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq.

On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China was "seriously concerned" about the DPRK's plan, hoping that Pyongyang will exercise restraint on the issue and deal with it prudently to avoid possible escalation of tensions.

Kirby said the United States will "continue the conversation with China" on the DPRK issue bilaterally and multilaterally through the United Nations.