UNITED NATIONS, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council Tuesday strongly condemned the most recent ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and urged the country to refrain from further actions.
Pyongyang shall "refrain from further actions, including nuclear tests, in violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, and comply fully with its obligations under these resolutions," the 15-nation UN body said in a press statement.
The UN body condemned the March 5 missile launches, saying that "these launches are in grave violation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's international obligations" under relevant Security Council resolutions.
Under these resolutions, Pyongyang was banned from testing any ballistic missile technology. The latest launches have sparked strong condemnation from a string of nations.
"The members of the Security Council deplore all the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's ballistic missile activities," which "contribute to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension in the region," the statement said.
"The members of the Security Council further regretted that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is diverting resources to the pursuit of ballistic missiles" when its people "have great unmet needs," noted the statement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday also condemned the test-firings of ballistic missiles by the DPRK, which he said "violate Security Council resolutions and seriously undermine regional peace and stability."
According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the DPRK fired four ballistic missiles into the eastern waters at about 7:36 a.m. local time (2236 GMT on Sunday). The missiles flew eastward some 1,000 km on average, and three of them fell into Japan's exclusive economic zone.
On Feb. 11, Pyongyang successfully test-launched a new type of Pukguksong-2 intermediate range ballistic missile reportedly under the supervision of top leader Kim Jong Un.
The council members expressed "serious concern" over Pyongyang's "increasingly destabilizing behavior and defiance of the Security Council by conducting these ballistic missile launches, urging the Asian country to "comply fully with its obligations under these resolutions."
Meanwhile, the Security Council also called upon all member states to "redouble their efforts to implement fully the measures" imposed on the DPRK by the Security Council, particularly the comprehensive measures contained in resolutions 2321 (2016) and 2270 (2016).
The body highlighted "the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia at large," reiterating its "commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation and welcomed efforts ... to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue."
The members of the Security Council emphasized the vital importance of the DPRK's showcase of "sincere commitment to denuclearization and stressed the importance of working to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and beyond."
The members of the UN body agreed to "continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures, in line with the council's previously expressed determination."
