UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council ordered emergency talks Tuesday on North Korea's nuclear weapon test, which UN leader Ban Ki-moon condemned as a "deeply destabilizing" provocation.
The United States, China, Russia and the other major powers now face intense pressure to act over North Korea's defiance of sanctions imposed after previous tests in 2006 and 2009.
The isolated North Korean government ignored a "strong warning" from its close ally China against staging the test, a UN diplomat said.
The 15-nation council, which called closed talks for 9:00 am New York time (1400 GMT), passed a resolution last month threatening "significant action" against Pyongyang in the event of a new nuclear test or missile launch.
The United States, China, Russia and the other major powers now face intense pressure to act over North Korea's defiance of sanctions imposed after previous tests in 2006 and 2009.
North Korea says it staged a successful test of a "miniaturized" bomb in a declaration that brought immediate global protests.
The UN secretary general condemned the underground test as "a clear and grave violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions," said his spokesman Martin Nesirky.
"It is deplorable that Pyongyang defied the strong and unequivocal call from the international community to refrain from any further provocative measures," Ban added in the comments.
Ban is "gravely concerned about the negative impact of this deeply destabilizing act on regional stability as well as the global efforts for nuclear non-proliferation."
He called on North Korea to "reverse course and work towards de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula," and expressed confidence that the Security Council "will remain united and take appropriate action."
The United States and South Korea, the council president for February, had both called for firm measures against North Korea if it stages a nuclear test. (AFP)
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