UN to take 'significant action' against N Korea

The test is a clear and grave violation of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, says Ban.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned North Korea’s nuclear test as "a clear threat to international peace and security" and pledged further action against Pyongyang.

A press statement approved by all 15 council members at an emergency meeting Tuesday said the test posed "a clear threat to international peace and security."

"We fully understand the concerns expressed by neighbouring countries, including (South Korea) and Japan," Pakistan UN Ambassador Masood Khan told APP correspondent after the adopting of the press statement by the 15-member Council.

Khan called the latest test, North Korea's third, a "very serious development."

"The Democratic Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK) should fully comply with respective international obligations, respect international law and implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions," he said.

"The Council's response to this development should be three-fold - it should send a strong signal that the Security Council opposes DPRK's action - it should devise a strategy to manage the crisis effectively, defuse the mounting tension, and stop further escalation, and it should align actions with the long-term objectives of peace and stability," the Ambassador said.

"Pakistan supports nuclear weapons free Korean Peninsula as agreed by all the concerned parties in the Framework Agreement of 1994 and reaffirms its support for the Six-Party Talks process," he added. A statement from the foreign office noted that Pakistan regretted North Korea’s decision to conduct tests.

In a press statement, the Council points out that a resolution unanimously approved last month called for stepping up sanctions against North Korea's missile test in December and promised to take "significant action" in the event of a new nuclear test. In line with this commitment and the gravity of this violation, the members of the Security Council will begin work immediately on appropriate measures in a Security Council resolution, Kim Sung-hwan, the foreign minister of South Korea, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council for February, said in the statement.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a statement issued by his spokesperson overnight, called Pyongyang's action "deplorable, and voiced concern at its impact on regional stability." Ban reiterated his criticism ahead of a pre-planned address to the Council.

"I strongly condemn Pyongyang's reckless act, which shows outright disregard for the repeated call of the international community to refrain from further provocative measures. The test is a clear and grave violation of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council.”