UN Security Council condemns NKorea test, vows action

North Korea confirmed on Tuesday it has successfully conducted a third nuclear test, saying it used a miniaturized device that had a greater explosive force than previous tests, the North's KCNA official news agency said.                                

"It was confirmed that the nuclear test that was carried out at a high level in a safe and perfect manner using a miniaturized and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously did not pose any negative impact on the surrounding ecological environment," KCNA said.                                     

In this context, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said its nuclear test was an act of self-defense in response to hostility from the United States and that it will take stronger follow-up actions if Washington keeps up its belligerence.                                             

North Korea told the U.N. disarmament forum that it would never bow to resolutions on its nuclear program and that prospects were "gloomy" for the denuclearization of the divided Korean peninsula because of a "hostile" U.S. policy.             

Earlier, South Korea said that the size of the seismic activity indicated a nuclear explosion slightly larger than the North's two previous tests at 6-7 kilotons. The Hiroshima bomb was, by comparison, around 20 kilotons.   
 

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The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday "strongly condemned" North Korea's third nuclear test and vowed to take action against Pyongyang, the president of the Security Council said.   

"The members of the Security Council strongly condemned this test, which is a grave violation of Security Council resolutions," South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, whose country is president of the council this month, told reporters. He said the council would now consider "appropriate measures."   

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said that Washington and its allies intended to "augment the sanctions regime" already in place due to Pyongyang's 2006 and 2009 atomic tests.

For his part, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned it, saying it was "deplorable" that Pyongyang had defied international appeals to refrain from such provocative acts.                                  
This as, Russia's Defense Ministry condemned the test and said the  blast surpassed 7 kilotons, a ministry source told the Interfax-AVN military news agency.
                        
As for President Barack Obama, he said North Korea's latest nuclear test was a "highly provocative act" that hurt stability in the region and called its nuclear program a threat to U.S. and international security.                                               

"The danger posed by North Korea's threatening activities warrants further swift and credible action by the international community. The United States will also continue to take steps necessary to defend ourselves and our allies," Obama said in a statement.                                                  

"We will strengthen close coordination with allies and partners and work with our Six-Party partners, the United Nations Security Council, and other UN member states to pursue firm action," he said.                                  

Meanwhile, the British Foreign Secretary William Hague "strongly" condemned the nuclear test and said Britain would press for a robust response to the test by the United Nations Security Council.

"I strongly condemn this development, which is a violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1718, 1874 and 2087," Hague said in a statement.                   

Hague mentioned that there was scope for new United Nations Security Council resolutions on North Korea after it conducted a third nuclear test, but said their impact depended on China's support.                    

"The UK will begin urgent consultations with Security Council partners calling for a robust response to this latest development," he said.                                

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, he said that North Korea's nuclear test is a grave threat to Japan and cannot be tolerated, Kyodo news reported, citing a government statement.

China said that it strongly opposed the latest nuclear test and urged its ally to abide by its non-nuclear commitment and not take any actions that would worsen the situation on the Korean peninsula, while Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi summoned the North Korean ambassador to China to protest sternly against the North's third nuclear test.                     
French President Francois Hollande strongly condemned North Korea's carrying out of a third nuclear test and said it was working with its United Nations Security Council partners on a firm response.                

The Indian Foreign Ministry said that North Korea were a matter of deep concern and added that such actions violated international commitments and had an adverse impact on peace and stability in the region.                                      


REUTERS