UNITED NATIONS, Dec 12: North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Wednesday days before its young ruler marks 12 months in power, provoking global condemnation.

The anger over the North Korean move heightened pressure for tougher sanctions against its regime.

North Korea insisted the mission was not a banned inter-continental missile test but was designed to place a scientific satellite in space.

“The satellite has entered the orbit as planned,” Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a statement repeated later in a triumphant special state television broadcast.

The state agency released pictures showing a white rocket taking off with clouds of smoke billowing into the snowy landscape. The first and second stages fell in the sea off the Korean Peninsula, while the third splashed down east of the Philippines.

Later on Wednesday, the UN Security Council condemned the rocket launch and warned of possible measures over the provocative act that heightened fears among foes and allies alike.

The UN Security Council held emergency talks after the North, already under international sanctions for nuclear tests, ignored pleas not to fire off the rocket and went ahead with the launch.

“Members of the Security Council condemned this launch, which is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874,” said a statement released after the meeting.

The council made it clear it considered the North had used proscribed “ballistic missile technology” and highlighted a warning made after a failed launch in April that it could take “action” if there was a new attempt.—Agencies