South Korea and the US also said the launch failed to put the satellite into orbit.

Successful or not, the launch was an act of defiance against the US and regional powers who pressed the DPRK to cancel the launch.

On Monday, some military experts cautioned against calling the rocket launch a complete failure, pointing out that it travelled twice as far as any missile the country has launched.

South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak expressed indignation about the DPRK's rocket launch during a nationwide radio broadcast on Monday, denouncing it as a "reckless act." He said his country will deal with the provocation "resolutely and firmly."

(CCTV April 7, 2009)