MOSCOW, August 25 (RIA Novosti) - South Korea has launched its first rocket into space from the country's Naro Space Center, Russia's Khrunichev space center said on Tuesday.

The rocket delivered a 100-kilogram research satellite into orbit, for oceanic and atmospheric monitoring from the Naro Space Center, located 485 kilometers (300 miles) south of the capital Seoul.

The two-staged KSLV-1 rocket, which delivered the satellite into orbit, was developed by the Khrunichev center. If the satellite launch is successful, Seoul will become one of 10 "space club" countries with the capability to launch rockets into space.

South Korea began developing its own space program in 1996. Seoul has already launched 11 satellites since 1992, using foreign carrier rockets and launch sites.

Seoul's neighbor North Korea launched a multistage rocket on April 5 that it said was carrying a communications satellite, in defiance of international pressure from the United States, Japan, South Korea and other countries, which condemned the test launch of a Taepodong-2 long-range missile.