South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said he suspects that North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite launch failed because the rocket's second stage flight was "partially abnormal."

Lee told lawmakers at a defense committee meeting on Friday that analysis so far indicates the failure occurred for reasons other than given by Pyongyang.

The North launched the Malligyong-1 satellite aboard the new-type Chollima-1 rocket on Thursday from the Sohae satellite launching station in Tongchang-ri in the country's northwest.

Pyongyang said that the rocket's first- and second-stage flights were normal but the launch failed due to an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight.

North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration noted that it will soon determine why the error occurred and will conduct a third satellite launch in October.

North Korea conducted its first satellite launch back in May but it failed, reportedly, due to second-stage engine trouble.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that it is likely to take some time to determine the cause of the recent launch's failure if there was an abnormality in the second-stage flight.