South Korean satellite rocket blasts off

SEOUL: South Korea launched a rocket Wednesday in its third bid to put a satellite in orbit and gain entry to an elite global space club that includes Asian powers China, India and Japan.

Live television broadcasts showed the 140-tonne Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV-I) blasting off at 4:00pm (0700 GMT) and clearing the launch pad at the Naro Space Center on the south coast.