Azernews.Az

North Korea says it has launched a rocket that successfully placed a satellite into orbit, Radio Liberty reported.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said U.S. systems detected that North Korea had launched an object into the earth's orbit.

NORAD said the first stage of the rocket fell into the Yellow Sea and the second stage fell into the Philippine Sea.

The rocket was launched just after midnight GMT on December 12.

Japan said the rocket had flown over Okinawa. Tokyo denounced the firing as "intolerable" but said Japan had made no effort to shoot it down.

South Korea called an emergency meeting of its National Security Council.

The White House condemned the launch as a "highly provocative act that threatens regional security" and that directly violates United Nations Security Council resolutions imposed to punish the North over its missile and nuclear programs..

The launch followed a failed rocket launch by Pyongyang in April.

Critics accuse the North Korean regime of using launches as a cover to develop missiles that can carry nuclear weapons.

North Korea's launch came ahead of elections due soon in South Korea and Japan.