By Yi Whan-woo
President Park Geun-hye denounced North Korea for its long-range rocket launch, Sunday, asking the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to take tougher sanctions against the Kim Jong-un regime.
"North Korea has committed an intolerable provocation of launching a long-range missile after conducting a fourth nuclear test" Park said during a National Security Council (NSC) meeting at Cheong Wa Dae.
Park referred to South Korea and other U.S.-led allies who suspect that North Korea's rocket program is merely a cover for its ballistic missile tests.
"Such provocative acts bring challenge on international community because it came at a time when the UNSC has been discussing possible measures to punish North Korea for its latest nuclear test," she said. "The Security Council should quickly come up with strong sanctions," Park said.
In response to Pyongyang's rocket launch, the UNSC will convene an emergency meeting, Monday (KST).
It has already been working on a resolution of sanctions on North Korea for its purported test of a hydrogen bomb on Jan. 6. If true, it would be Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test since 2006.
The U.S. also denounced North Korea.
"North Korea's launch using ballistic missile technology represents yet another destabilizing and provocative action and is a flagrant violation of multiple UNSC resolutions," U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice said in a statement.
"We condemn today's launch and North Korea's determination to prioritize its missile and nuclear weapons programs over the well-being of its people, whose struggles only intensify with North Korea's diversion of scarce resources to such destabilizing activities."
It is seen that the rocket flew over Okinawa, Japan.
And Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his country will discuss with the international community to counter "Pyongyang's violations of the U.N. resolutions."
President Park Geun-hye denounced North Korea for its long-range rocket launch, Sunday, asking the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) to take tougher sanctions against the Kim Jong-un regime.
"North Korea has committed an intolerable provocation of launching a long-range missile after conducting a fourth nuclear test" Park said during a National Security Council (NSC) meeting at Cheong Wa Dae.
Park referred to South Korea and other U.S.-led allies who suspect that North Korea's rocket program is merely a cover for its ballistic missile tests.
"Such provocative acts bring challenge on international community because it came at a time when the UNSC has been discussing possible measures to punish North Korea for its latest nuclear test," she said. "The Security Council should quickly come up with strong sanctions," Park said.
In response to Pyongyang's rocket launch, the UNSC will convene an emergency meeting, Monday (KST).
It has already been working on a resolution of sanctions on North Korea for its purported test of a hydrogen bomb on Jan. 6. If true, it would be Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test since 2006.
The U.S. also denounced North Korea.
"North Korea's launch using ballistic missile technology represents yet another destabilizing and provocative action and is a flagrant violation of multiple UNSC resolutions," U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice said in a statement.
"We condemn today's launch and North Korea's determination to prioritize its missile and nuclear weapons programs over the well-being of its people, whose struggles only intensify with North Korea's diversion of scarce resources to such destabilizing activities."
It is seen that the rocket flew over Okinawa, Japan.
And Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his country will discuss with the international community to counter "Pyongyang's violations of the U.N. resolutions."
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