North Korea launched its rocket on Tuesday.
The launch took the neighboring nations by surprise after reports of delays due to technical reasons.
The rocket now now presumably can reach the US.
South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said in an interview:
"Our government, along with the international community, strongly condemns North Korea for pushing ahead with such a provocation, for ignoring continuous warnings and calls for a withdrawal of the launch by the international community."
The UN Secretary-General Ban ki moon spokesperson Martin Nesirky issued a statement:
The UN Security Council meeting is to be held on Wednesday.
The impoverished Stalinist nation has long touted "military-first" policies for decades. It also is an exporter of such weapons.
The EU's Catherine Ashton said in a statement:
'The EU will consider an appropriate response, in close consultation with key partners ... including possible additional restrictive measures,' and that the launch was 'another step in a long-running attempt by the DPRK (North Korea) to acquire ballistic missile technology and is thus a clear violation of the DPRK's international obligations...,' 'I urge the DPRK to comply, without delay, fully and unconditionally with its obligations under relevant UN Security Council Resolutions....'
The NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement:
"This provocative act exacerbates tensions in the region and risks further destabilizing the Korean peninsula,""NATO continues to call on the North Korean authorities to fulfill their obligations under international law."
China and Russia has said they regret the launch.
Let us hope the international community will find a unified voice against such provocations that threaten the peace and stability of the region and the world.
The launch took the neighboring nations by surprise after reports of delays due to technical reasons.
The rocket now now presumably can reach the US.
South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said in an interview:
"Our government, along with the international community, strongly condemns North Korea for pushing ahead with such a provocation, for ignoring continuous warnings and calls for a withdrawal of the launch by the international community."
The UN Secretary-General Ban ki moon spokesperson Martin Nesirky issued a statement:
The Secretary-General deplores the rocket launch announced by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). It is all the more regrettable because it defies the unified and strong call from the international community. It is a clear violation of Security Council resolution 1874 (2009), in which the Council demanded that the DPRK not conduct any launch using ballistic missile technology.
The Secretary-General has been urging the leadership in Pyongyang not to carry out such a launch and instead to build confidence with its neighbours while taking steps to improve the lives of its people. The Secretary-General is concerned about the negative consequences that this provocative act may have on peace and stability in the region.
The Secretary-General is in close touch with the governments concerned. He takes this opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to working for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.
The UN Security Council meeting is to be held on Wednesday.
The impoverished Stalinist nation has long touted "military-first" policies for decades. It also is an exporter of such weapons.
The EU's Catherine Ashton said in a statement:
'The EU will consider an appropriate response, in close consultation with key partners ... including possible additional restrictive measures,' and that the launch was 'another step in a long-running attempt by the DPRK (North Korea) to acquire ballistic missile technology and is thus a clear violation of the DPRK's international obligations...,' 'I urge the DPRK to comply, without delay, fully and unconditionally with its obligations under relevant UN Security Council Resolutions....'
The NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement:
"This provocative act exacerbates tensions in the region and risks further destabilizing the Korean peninsula,""NATO continues to call on the North Korean authorities to fulfill their obligations under international law."
China and Russia has said they regret the launch.
Let us hope the international community will find a unified voice against such provocations that threaten the peace and stability of the region and the world.