A TV screen at the Seoul Railway Station in South Korea shows a news report on the DPRK launch on August 24, 2023 (AP)

The DPRK's Ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song stressed that Pyongyang is exercising its right to self-defense with its latest satellite launch attempt earlier this week.

State-run Central News Agency reported earlier this week that the country's second attempt to launch a reconnaissance satellite had failed, adding that in October, a third attempt will be made.

"Our launch of the reconnaissance satellite is an exercise of the right to self-defense," Kim stressed during a UN Security Council meeting on Pyongyang's latest satellite launch attempt.

The DPRK's goal is to build its self-defense capability, Kim indicated, pointing out that the satellite launch did not cause any harm to the security of its neighboring country.

On Thursday, the DPRK's National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) "conducted the second launch of reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1," the official Korean Central News Agency confirmed.

"The launch failed due to an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight," NADA indicated, pointing out that the problem was "not a big issue."

The South Korean military said it detected the launch of the purported space rocket at around 3:50 am (1850 GMT Wednesday) and that it flew over the Yellow Sea. It added that a search and retrieval operation for the wreckage had begun.

South Korea's National Security Council slammed the Thursday launch and the DPRK's earlier attempt in May, saying Pyongyang was "squandering scarce resources on reckless provocations while blaming lower officials for the economic situation that is driving its people to starvation and death."

The DPRK had notified Japan's coast guard that a satellite launch would take place between August 24 and 31, prompting Tokyo to mobilize ships and its PAC-3 missile defense system.

The launch was first signaled by the Japanese government, which called it "extremely problematic" and issued a brief warning to residents of the southern Okinawa region to take cover.

On Wednesday, the office of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the DPRK had launched a "suspected ballistic missile."

The NHK broadcaster later reported that the missile passed over Japan and its fragments fell in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea as well as in several other parts of the Pacific Ocean.

"Behaviour like this goes against the UN resolutions and we're already firmly protesting," Kishida considered.

Kishida added that in light of the recent trilateral Camp David summit, Washington, Tokyo, and Seoul "will closely coordinate more than ever" in response.

The launch "risks destabilising the security situation in the region and beyond," US National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson also said.

The launch comes shortly after Washington and Seoul kicked off major joint military drills on Monday. Known as Ulchi Freedom Shield, the annual exercises will run through August 31.