U.N. Security Council condemns DPRK missile launches

The U.N. Security Council has "strongly" condemned the recent ballistic missile launches conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), urging its member states to redouble efforts to implement all relevant resolutions.

The 15-nation U.N. body stressed that "all these launches were unacceptable" and constituted a clear violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, said a press statement released on Friday after the council held urgent consultations on this matter.

"The Members of the Security Council reiterated that the DPRK shall refrain from further actions in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and comply fully with its obligations under these resolutions," said the statement.

The DPRK fired a medium-range ballistic missile into the sea off the country's east coast on Thursday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. On March 10, the DPRK fired short-range ballistic missiles into the sea.

Earlier this month, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution to impose a new raft of sanctions on the DPRK to curb its nuclear and missile programs.

The most recent missile launch by the DPRK was seen as a show of force and anger at the ongoing joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States and the tougher-than-ever sanctions on the DPRK.

In the statement, the Security Council said that it would continue to closely monitor the situation and act as appropriate. Endi