U.S. officials claimed that North Korea is preparing for a space launch soon as shown in a recently obtained satellite imagery of a site around the Sohae Satellite Launching Station.

The officials, however, said nothing indicated that it would be a ballistic missile test launch.

"Our concern though is that they do a space-launch, but really it's the same technology to develop ICBMs (inter-continental ballistic missiles),'' an official said on Thursday.

An unnamed U.S. official in Washington also told AFP: "The indications are that they are preparing for some kind of launch... Could be for a satellite or a space vehicle—there are a lot of guesses."

"North Korea does this periodically—they move things back and forth... There's nothing to indicate it's ballistic-missile related."

On Thursday morning, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported that Japanese officials have expressed concern by the recent activities at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station, also known as Tongchang-ri.

Kyodo also cited a government source as saying that a missile launch could occur in about a week at the earliest.

The revelation comes just 24 hours after speculation that North Korea was preparing to launch a long-range missile as soon as next week, which followed claims by supreme leader Kim Jong-un that he had weapons capable of obliterating the U.S, according to the Daily Mail.

U.N. Security Council members are currently calling for fresh sanctions against North Korea after it conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6. The country is already under sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, meanwhile, cited a government source as saying screens had been set up at key areas at the site, possibly to deter satellite surveillance.

The country last conducted a long-range rocket launch in late 2012, successfully putting an object into orbit in what is believed by experts to be part of its effort to build an ICBM, according to reports.