North Korea says spy satellite launch successful

SEOUL

North Korea said Wednesday it had succeeded in putting a military spy satellite in orbit after two previous failures, as the United States led its allies in condemning the launch as a "brazen violation" of UN sanctions.

A rocket carrying the satellite blasted off Tuesday night from North Phyongan province and "accurately put the reconnaissance satellite 'Malligyong-1' on its orbit", state-run news agency KCNA reported.

Images in state media showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiling and waving, surrounded by white-uniformed scientists and engineers who cheered and clapped after watching the successful blastoff.

The United States led condemnation of the launch, saying it was a "brazen violation" of UN sanctions, while South Korea responded by partially suspending a 2018 military deal with the North, saying it would resume surveillance operations along their border.

Japan said that Pyongyang's claims of success could not immediately be independently verified.

Tokyo is still analysing the launch and "at this point is not confirming whether the satellite had entered into an orbit around the Earth", chief government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said.

North Korea's previous efforts to put a spy satellite into orbit in May and August both failed. Seoul, Tokyo and Washington had repeatedly warned Pyongyang not to proceed with another launch, which would violate successive rounds of UN resolutions.

Space launch rockets and ballistic missiles have significant technological overlap, experts say, and Pyongyang is barred by UN resolutions from any tests involving ballistic technology.

The North plans to launch more satellites "in a short span of time" to step up its surveillance capability on South Korea, KCNA said.

A South Korean defence official said after the launch that Seoul would "restore aerial surveillance and reconnaissance activities for signs of North Korean provocations" along the border, calling them "equivalent and minimal defensive measures against North Korea's provocation".

"If North Korea carries out additional provocations, our military will immediately and strongly punish any provocations," he told a briefing.