UN Security Council slams Pyongyang's rocket launch

UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned the rocket launch announced by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), calling the move "a clear violation" of relevant council resolutions.

The condemnation was contained in a statement read to the press by Mohammed Loulichki, Morocco's permanent representative to the United Nations, who holds the rotating council presidency for December.

Taking note of the DPRK's latest rocket launch using the ballistic missile technology, the statement said "Members of the Security Council condemned this launch, which is a clear violation of the Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874."

The 15-nation council also pledged to "continue their consultations on the appropriate response in accordance with its responsibilities given the urgency of the matter."

"Members of the Security Council recalled that in April 2012, they demanded that the DPRK not to proceed with any further launch with ballistic missile technology and also expressed the council's determination to take action accordingly in the event of the further DPRK launch," said the statement released at the end of the council's closed-door meeting over the DPRK's rocket launch.

The DPRK's official KCNA news agency on Wednesday confirmed that the country launched and orbited an earth observation satellite.

According to the KCNA, a Unha-3 rocket carrying the second version of the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite blasted off from the Sohae Space Center in Cholsan County, North Phyongan Province, at 9:49 a.m. local time (0049 GMT).

The satellite, said the KCNA, entered its preset orbit 9 minutes and 27 seconds after the lift-off, and started going round the polar orbit.

The launch was "all the more regrettable because it defies the unified and strong call from the international community," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement issued here earlier on Wednesday by his spokesman.                  "It is a clear violation of Security Council resolution 1874 (2009), in which the Council demanded that the DPRK not conduct any launch using ballistic missile technology."