South Korea’s military has announced that North Korea has conducted a rocket launch, which is believed to be carrying a spy satellite. This would be Pyongyang’s third attempt this year to put a satellite into orbit for surveillance purposes.

The rocket, launched towards the south, is believed to be carrying the spy satellite, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. North Korea claims that it is a military surveillance satellite.

Japan has also confirmed the launch, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s office stating that North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile. Initially, an emergency warning was issued for residents in Okinawa, a southern prefecture in Japan, to take cover. However, the warning was soon lifted after it was determined that the projectile had passed into the Pacific Ocean.

Prior to the launch, North Korea had notified Japan that it planned to launch a satellite between November 22 and December 1. The launch was directed towards the Yellow Sea and East China Sea, as notified by North Korea to Japan’s Coast Guard. South Korea’s state maritime safety agency also issued warnings to vessels in the same areas.

It is worth noting that North Korea had previously attempted to launch spy satellites twice this year, but those attempts had failed. In recent days, South Korean officials had indicated that North Korea was preparing for another launch, and now it has been confirmed.