The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday defended its right to launch a satellite for peaceful and scientific purposes.

"No matter what others say, we will continue to exercise our legitimate right to launch satellites and thus actively contribute to the economic construction and improvement of people's living standards," the official KCNA news agency quoted a DPRK Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying.

The successful satellite launch was in line with the country's scientific and technological development plan, the spokesman said, adding all the DPRK people were greatly excited by the launch.

Those who called the satellite launch a "violation of UN Security Council resolutions," and regarded it as a long-range missile launch, "provocation" and cause of increasing tension, were prompted by hostility toward the DPRK, he said.

The U.S. over-reaction to the DPRK's satellite launch in April was out of hostile feelings and had compelled the DPRK to wholly "re-examine the nuclear issue," he said.

"We hope that all countries concerned will use reason and remain cool so as to prevent the situation from developing in an undesirable direction," the spokesman said.

According to the KCNA, the second version of Kwangmyongsong-3 was launched by an Unha-3 carrier rocket at 9:49 a.m. local time (0049 GMT) Wednesday from the Sohae Space Center in Cholsan County, North Phyongan Province, and entered the preset orbit.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of late president Kim Il Sung, and Dec. 17 marks the first anniversary of the death of the country's previous leader, Kim Jong Il.

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