North Korea has launched a long-range 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.

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.

Later in the day, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan condemned North Korea’s rocket launch, calling it a clear violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718 and a threat to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

In a statement released shortly after the North's rocket launch, he confirmed that the North launched a rocket at 11:30 am, adding Seoul is sharing information on the launch with the U.S. and other countries.

The statement said the South Korean government is taking countermeasures against the launch through close consultations with related countries, while guarding against any further provocation from the North.

Yu said Seoul and the international community are greatly disappointed over Pyongyang's heavy spending on the long-range rocket when the money could have been used to help relieve its chronic food shortages.