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The UN Security Council is set to convene for an emergency session following a provocative North Korean missile launch that has defied both the U.S. and the greater international community.

Japanese government spokesman Yutaka Arima said that Tokyo had asked the 15-member group to meet Sunday. The meeting will begin at 3 p.m. ET.

Japan, along with the U.S. and other countries, believe the rocket was launched in order to test North Korea's long-range missile technology, which could be used to carry a nuclear warhead in the future.

North Korea, meanwhile, has said they were putting a communications satellite into orbit.

The salvo was launched Sunday at about 11:30 a.m. local time from the Musudan-ri launch site, which is located in a coastal area in northeastern North Korea, according to the South Korean government, which was monitoring the launch.

According to Japan's Defence Ministry:

• The first stage of the rocket dropped about 280 kilometres off the western coast of Akita into the waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula.
• The second stage was to land in the Pacific at a spot about 1,270 kilometre off Japan's northeastern coast.

The U.S. State Department has also confirmed the launch.

"Our primary concern is to confirm safety and gather information," Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said Sunday.

The launch came despite pressure from Aso and U.S. President Barack Obama to scrap the operation. China's Hu Jintao also asked North Korea to abstain from sending the missile into the East Asian skies.

Obama, in Prague after a NATO meeting Saturday, released a stern statement that said in part, "With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations." (Full text of statement below.)

Leading up to the countdown, Tokyo sent warships and Patriot missile systems to its northern waters in case debris rained down on Japanese territory.

South Korean and U.S. ships also patrolled the waters around the Korean peninsula in advance of the launch.

A 'reckless' move

A UN Security Council resolution, passed in 2006, attempted to ban Pyongyang from taking part in any ballistic missile testing.

The South Korean government said the launch was a "reckless" move that threatens to destabilize the region.

"We cannot contain our disappointment and regret over North Korea's reckless act," said Lee Dong-kwan, a presidential spokesman.

The U.S. State Department assailed the launch and said Washington was prepared "to take appropriate steps to let North Korea know that it cannot threaten the safety and security of other countries with impunity."

The last time North Korea attempted to launch a ballistic missile in 2006, it crashed 40 seconds after liftoff, said CTV's Beijing Bureau Chief Steve Chao.

"Scientists believe that the maximum range for this missile is about 6,700 kilometres, which puts it in range of Alaska and parts of the western United States," he said.

Chao added that Pyongang has said that it possesses nuclear weapons.

"Another concern is that North Korea could sell the missile technology to countries like Iran, Pakistan and Syria, which it has done before with other missiles," he said.

Chao noted that the U.S. and Japan will likely press for the Security Council to punish North Korea with stricter economic sanctions.

However, Russia and China would likely block such an approach out of concern that it would further isolate the nation.

Statement from U.S. President Barack Obama:

North Korea's development and proliferation of ballistic missile technology pose a threat to the northeast Asian region and to international peace and security. The launch today of a Taepo-dong 2 missile was a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, which expressly prohibits North Korea from conducting ballistic missile-related activities of any kind. With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations.

We will immediately consult with our allies in the region, including Japan and the Republic of Korea, and members of the U.N. Security Council to bring this matter before the Council. I urge North Korea to abide fully by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and to refrain from further provocative actions.

Preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is a high priority for my administration. The United States is fully committed to maintaining security and stability in northeast Asia and we will continue working for the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the Six-Party Talks. The Six-Party Talks provide the forum for achieving denuclearization, reducing tensions, and for resolving other issues of concern between North Korea, its four neighbors, and the United States. North Korea has a pathway to acceptance in the international community, but it will not find that acceptance unless it abandons its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and abides by its international obligations and commitments.