South Korea’s military has assessed that North Korea’s Thursday launch of a projectile ended in failure.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said the North launched what it claims to be a space launch vehicle from Dongchang-ri at around 3:50 a.m. Thursday in a southward direction.

The JCS said it instantly detected the launch, continuously tracked and monitored it and assessed that the rocket failed, adding that the launch is a clear violation of a UN Security Council resolution that prohibits any use of ballistic missile technology.

It said that South Korea’s military will continue to take part in the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military drill with the U.S. and vowed to maintain firm preparedness.

The JCS earlier had said the projectile had passed over international waters west of Ieodo Island in the East China Sea.

The latest launch comes after the North notified the Japan Coast Guard on Tuesday that it intends to launch a satellite between Thursday and August 31 and had designated three maritime danger zones for the launch, including two in the Yellow Sea and one located east of the Philippines' island of Luzon.