Washington, Seoul move to formalize talks on deployment of advanced missile shield to South Korea.

North Korea’s long-range rocket launch sparked international condemnation and prompted Washington and Seoul to formalize talks over deploying an advanced missile shield to South Korea, a move strongly opposed by China. Defying a United Nations ban on testing ballistic-missile technology, North Korea said it put a satellite into space from a multi-stage rocket launched about 9 a.m. local time Sunday. South Korea said an object had been put into orbit by the rocket, but it wasn’t clear if it was transmitting back to earth. A statement from North Korea’s state news agency said the nation would launch more satellites and attributed the latest achievement to leader Kim Jong Un. Criticism of the launch was widespread. The U.S. and other nations view North Korea’s satellite program as covert testing of missiles because of the similarities between the launching of a satellite and the firing of a warhead at a target. U.S. National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice called the launch a “destabilizing and provocative” action. “We call upon the international community to stand together and demonstrate to North Korea that its reckless actions must have serious consequences, “ she said. Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. would work with members of the U.N. Security Council to hold North Korea to account for the launch. A meeting of the council is scheduled for Sunday in New York. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the launch “deeply deplorable” in a statement, while the leaders of South Korea and Japan called for strong action to be taken by the U.N. against Pyongyang. European governments, Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization also condemned the launch.

More From The Wall Street Journal (subscription required):