North Korea has launched a "long-range" ballistic rocket believed to be carrying a satellite, the South Korean defense ministry said.
The rocket took off at around 12:30am GMT, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which is tracking the flight path of the ballistic target.
The first stage of the rocket had been calculated to fall into the West Sea, according to North Korea's prior warning to the UN, and according to Seoul’s military no damage from rocket “debris or other parts” was reported on South Korean territory.
A senior US defense official also confirmed the launch, saying that the flight trajectory “does not pose a threat to the US or our allies.”
North Korea previously notified the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) about a potential rocket launch to put an earth observation satellite into orbit, claiming a launch window of February 8 to February 25.
