NORTH Korea launched a missile into the sea today, hours after announcing plans to put a rocket into orbit that will apparently carry its second spy satellite.

Pyongyang had earlier notified Japan’s coastguard of plans to launch “a satellite rocket,” at some point between today and midnight next Monday, drawing rebukes from South Korea and Japan.

The coastguard said it had been told of the planned “satellite rocket” launch, with a warning to exercise caution in the waters between the Korean peninsula and China and east of the main Philippine island of Luzon until midnight on June 3.