North Korea, in a Saturday evening announcement that took many by surprise, said its sent a long-range rocket into the sky.
A television station run by the regime said the rocket launch successfully place a satellite in orbit.
The rocket blasted off from a north-west region in North Korea and passed over Japan's Okinawa islands, BBC reported.
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And more are planned, according to state-run media.
Local media described the launch as this, BBC reported: "The fascinatin vapor of Juche satellite trailing in the clear and blue sky in spring of February on the threshold of the Day of the Shining Star."
The United States, Japan and South Korea requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the launch.
U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice called the use of ballistic missile technology by North Korea a " destabilizing and provocative action" that "represent serious threats to our intersts, including the security of some of our closest allies."
As WND previously reported, the regime announced a planned launch of a long-range rocket with attached satellite last week, setting world powers on edge.
The United States, Japan and South Korea requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the launch.
North Korea has maintained for years its space program is for scientific purposes only, and not aimed at igniting aggression or plotting wartime strategies.