South Korea says it has successfully launched a satellite into space - a major feat that comes just weeks after its neighbor North Korea did thesame.
The Korea Space Launch Vehicle lifted off Wednesday disappearing into the sky above the Naro Space Center on the country's southern coast.
Science Minister Lee Ju-ho told reporters that the rocket successfully placedthe satellite into orbit, declaring the mission "a success of all our people.
It took three tries for South Korea to successfully carry out the mission. In 2009, a rocket achieved orbit, but the satellite did not deploy. A year later, the rocket exploded just two minutes after liftoff. More recent attempts were called off at the last minute.
Wednesday's launch comes just a month after North Korea successfully sent what it said was a weather satellite into space. The move was widely condemned by the international community as a violation of United Nations sanctions.