26 Aug 2009

South Korea launches first space rocket

6:37 am on 26 August 2009

South Korea has launched its first space rocket, although a scientific satellite it was carrying failed to enter its proper orbit.

Officials describe the launch as a partial success.

Millions of South Koreans watched the launch, which is viewed with suspicion by North Korea.

The North is under United Nations sanctions for its own rocket launch, which was widely regarded as a cover for a test of a long-range missile.

No North Korean satellite has been detected in space, although Pyongyang insists the launch worked and the device is orbiting the earth transmitting revolutionary melodies.