(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) New York February 07 (QNA) - North Korea has successfully launched a long-range rocket carrying what it claims is an observational satellite an action immediately condemned by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon as "deeply deplorable".
The launch was in defiance of United Nations sanctions barring it from using ballistic missile technology.
Carrier rocket Kwangmyongsong-4 blasted off from the Sohae Space Center at 9:00 am Sunday local time state news agency KCNA confirmed.
The satellite entered orbit nine minutes and 46 seconds after the liftoff an operation "great leader Kim Jung Un personally ordered and directed" the TV announcer said.
"It is deeply deplorable that [North Korea] has conducted a launch using ballistic missile technology in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions ... despite the united plea of the international community against such an act" Ban's press office said.
"The Secretary-General reiterates his call on the DPRK to halt its provocative actions and return to compliance with its international obligations. He reaffirms his commitment to working with all sides in reducing tensions and achieving the verifiable denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" the UN Secretariat said in a statement.
Meanwhile United States Strategic Command said it had detected what it called a missile entering space appearing to quash earlier media reports indicating it might have failed during flight.
"This is the second time in just over a month that the DPRK has chosen to conduct a major provocation threatening not only the security of the Korean peninsula but that of the region and the United States as well" U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement.
Though North Korea said the launch was for scientific "peaceful purposes" adding it plans to launch more satellites it was viewed by other nations such as Japan and South Korea as a front for a ballistic missile test especially coming on the heels of North Korea's hydrogen bomb test last month.
The United States Japan and South Korea have called for an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting on Sunday a senior U.S. official said.
In the meantime South Korean President Park Geun-hye called the launch a "challenge to world peace." The South Korea Unification Ministry said it would be reducing the personnel at the Kaesong Industrial Complex a joint economic development between the two Koreas from 650 to 500 "in consideration of safety of our people." Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said "China expresses regret that DPRK in spite of the pervasive opposition of the international community insisted on using ballistic missile technology to carry out a launch." Meanwhile the Japanese government said it had lodged a "serious protest" at the action. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said "this is totally unacceptable." Echoing that it was a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolutions he promised to "resolutely take measures acting in cooperation with the international community." Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said North Korea continued to pose a threat to world peace.
"The Australian Government joins with the international community in condemning North Korea's provocative dangerous and destabilizing behavior" Bishop said.
The UK Foreign Office also condemned North Korea's missile launch saying that North Korea is fully aware that multiple UN Security Council Resolutions prohibit the use of ballistic missile technology.
"We will work with allies and partners to ensure there is a robust response if the DPRK persists in violating these resolutions. We will also emphasize to North Korea through diplomatic channels that such actions will only serve to isolate the country further" A Foreign Office spokeswoman said. (QNA)