Security Council to hold urgent meeting on DPRK missile launch

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Security Council will hold an urgent meeting Wednesday afternoon to discuss the latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), diplomatic sources said here on Tuesday.

According to the "Program of Meetings and Agenda" for Wednesday published on the UN website, the 8118th meeting of the Security Council will focus on "Non-proliferation/Democratic People's Republic of Korea."

Sources said that the United States, Japan and South Korea have requested the meeting to address the DPRK's launch of the ICBM which the Japanese defence ministry said probably fell within Japan's exclusive economic zone.

It is the first launch since Sep. 15, when the DPRK fired a ballistic missile over northern Japan into the Pacific Ocean.

Since November last year, the Security Council has imposed export bans on coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood, restricted joint ventures and blacklisted a number of DPRK's entities in response to the country's missile and nuclear tests.

It has also banned the hiring of DPRK's guest workers and capped oil exports.

Under UN resolutions, DPRK is barred from developing missiles and a nuclear weapons capability, but Pyongyang argues that the arsenal is needed for self-defense against the "hostile" United States.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday condemned the latest missile launch by the DPRK.

"The secretary-general strongly condemns the launch of yet another ballistic missile by the DPRK. This is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions and shows complete disregard for the united view of the international community," Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. Enditem