The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae says North Korea has launched a rocket.

Presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said Sunday morning that the rocket was launched at 11:30 a.m. at a launch site at Musudan-ri near the North's northeast coast.

In a statement, Lee said Seoul is deeply disappointed by what he called the North's reckless launch of the rocket posing a serious threat to world peace at a time when the entire world is struggling to recover from the global economic crisis. He also said the South Korean government will respond to the launch with a calm unwavering resolve, but wait for the North's change in attitude with patience and an open mind.

President Lee Myung-bak has convened a National Security Council meeting to discuss countermeasures against the launch.

Top South Korean officials including Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee, Unification Minister Hyun In-taek and National Intelligence Service Director Won Sei-hoon are attending the meeting.