North Korea's leader has called for the development of more powerful rockets, following last week's successful launch of a long-range rocket.

The official state media reported Saturday Kim Jong Un made the call for the advancement of North Korean rockets at a banquet Friday in Pyongyang.

The U.S., South Korea, Japan and various other governments condemned last week's launch as a ballistic missile test banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions.

North Korea said the three-stage rocket succeeded in placing what it called a weather satellite into orbit.

The timing of the launch surprised many observers and Western diplomats because reports, just a day earlier, suggested North Korea was disassembling the rocket because of technical difficulties.