US, Japan, South Korea request urgent UN meeting on North Korea

The United States, Japan and South Korea have asked the United Nations to hold an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea's recent missile test launch, the first since Donald Trump took office as president.

A North Korean missile launch. Photo: KCNA.

"The United States, along with Japan and South Korea, has requested urgent consultations regarding the launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea on February 12," AFP quoted a spokesman for the US mission to the United Nations as saying. The Security Council is scheduled to meet today, possibly in the afternoon.

North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile yesterday from Banghyon Air Base in North Pyongan Province on the country's west coast. The missile flew about 500 km before falling into the sea, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry.

North Korea's state news agency KCNA said it "successfully tested a long-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile", calling it a "new-type strategic weapon system of the Korean type".

North Korea's missile launch is believed to be aimed at testing the response of US President Donald Trump, who pledged "100% support" for Japan, a US ally in the region. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the test launch "unacceptable" during a surprise press conference with Mr. Trump in Florida.

North Korea is banned from using ballistic missiles and nuclear technology under UN resolutions. The Security Council has imposed six sets of sanctions on North Korea since Pyongyang first tested a nuclear device in 2006.

According to VNE