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SEOUL: A satellite which North Korea claimed to have launched Sunday did not enter orbit, South Korea's defence minister told parliament.
"All three stages of the rocket fell into the sea. No object entered orbit," Lee Sang-Hee said.
"It was a failed attempt to put a satellite into orbit... South Korea and the United States will continue analysing the situation."
The US military earlier gave the same assessment following North Korea's rocket launch Sunday morning.
"Stage one of the missile fell into the Sea of Japan," the North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command said.
"The remaining stages along with the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean," the commands said. "No object entered orbit and no debris fell on Japan."
The statement came after North Korea said its satellite was "rotating normally in its orbit" and transmitting "immortal revolutionary songs" in praise of the communist state's current and former leaders.
The North says it launched an experimental communications satellite as part of a peaceful space programme.
Washington, Seoul and Tokyo say a launch for any reason tests missile technology, and breaches UN resolution 1718 passed after Pyongyang's 2006 missile and nuclear tests.
- AFP/yt
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