Report: North Korea launches rocket
Seoul/Tokyo - North Korea launched a long-range rocket early Wednesday which flew around 2,500 kilometres, including over Japanese territory, before falling into the sea, news reports said.
It is the regime's second attempt under the leadership of Kim Jong Un following a launch in April which failed when the rocket exploded minutes after takeoff.
Wednesday's launch appeared to have been a technical success, with the rocket achieving its planned itinerary, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency cited unnamed officials in Seoul as saying.
Japan was to ask the United Nations to convene the Security Council on Wednesday, Kyodo News agency in Tokyo reported.
Japan, the United States, South Korea and other nations say the launches constitute tests of ballistic technology and violate UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea's nuclear programme.
Pyongyang defends its rocket programme, saying it merely aims to put a communications satellite in orbit.
The rocket took off at 9.51 am (0051 GMT), Yonhap reported, surprising many observers after Pyongyang on Monday extended the scheduled launch window saying technical problems had been detected.
The first stage of the rocket fell into the Yellow Sea after being jettisoned, the report said.//DPA
