North Korea's much-anticipated rocket launch ended in failure, splintering into pieces over the Yellow Sea soon after lift-off.
The reclusive communist state admitted on state TV yesterday that a satellite launched hours earlier from the west coast failed to enter into orbit. The US and South Korea also declared the launch a failure.
The Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite was fired from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Tongchang-ri, on the west coast, at 7.38am (11.38pm Thursday BST) but failed to reach orbit, the Central News Agency said.
"Scientists, technicians and experts are now looking into the cause of the failure," KCNA said.
The US, Japan, Britain and other nations had urged North Korea to cancel the launch, seen as a covert test of technology also used to send a long-range missile to strike the US.
North Korea refused to back down, saying the rocket would carry only a civilian satellite, touting it as a major technological achievement to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the country's founder, Kim Il Sung, on Sunday.
It has staked its pride on the satellite, seeing it as a show of strength amid persistent economic hardship while Kim Il Sung's grandson, Kim Jong Un, solidifies power following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il.
Despite the setback, Kim Jong Un was yesterday named as first chairman of the powerful National Defence Commission.
At a massive gathering in Pyongyang, he and other senior officials watched the unveiling of an enormous new statue of Kim Jong Il, beside an equally large statue of Kim Il Sung.
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