North Korea said on Sunday it has successfully put a satellite into orbit, with a rocket launch widely condemned as another defiant step towards a missile capable of striking the US mainland.
An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council was called on Sunday to deliberate on what the United States called “a flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolutions related to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea use of ballistic missile technology”.
There was no immediate external confirmation that the final stage of the satellite-bearing rocket had successfully achieved orbit, although the US Strategic Command said it had tracked “the missile launch into space”.
Condemnation was swift, with UN chief Ban Ki-moon calling the launch “deeply deplorable”.
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye urged the UN Security Council to respond quickly with “strong punitive measures”.
Permanent Security Council members Britain, France and Russia all expressed anger and concern, while North Korea’s main diplomatic protector China voiced “regret”.