“The Republic of Korea and the USA assesses that North Korea’s nuclear test and its long-range missile test is a severe threat against peace and stability of Republic of Korea and Asia Pacific Region”, Yoo said.
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Following reports of the launch on Sunday, North Korea said it would make a special announcement at midday.
Seoul and Washington have agreed to begin talks about deploying the THADD missile defense system in South Korea, a defense official told reporters Sunday.
Japan and South Korea’s defense forces were on standby to shoot down the rocket and any debris if they flew astray and threatened to fall on their respective territories.
Multiple UN Security Council resolutions proscribe North Korea’s development of its ballistic missile programme.
Vandal argued that it was “time to move forward” with the THAAD issue, claiming there was “growing support” in the South for its deployment.
In Washington, National Security Advisor Susan Rice slammed the launch as a “flagrant violation” of UNSC resolutions, calling for serious consequences for the communist country.
The countries will expand their joint military drills this year to the biggest-ever scale, while Seoul will increase its retaliatory psychological warfare operation along inter-Korean border that blasts anti-North Korea messages, according to the countries.
Russian ally China is opposed to Pyongyang’s nuclear programme and has appealed for calm.
North Korea claims to have successfully put four satellites into orbit.
The Korean peninsula can not be nuclearised or descend into war, the commentary added, saying all parties should deal with the situation calmly to keep it from spinning out of control. Countries including the United States and South Korea have sought fresh sanctions since the nuclear test on January 6. But before that Pyongyang suffered a series of failures.
North Korean rocket and nuclear tests are seen as crucial steps toward the North’s ultimate goal of a nuclear armed missile that could hit the United States mainland.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch “absolutely unacceptable”.
The government here said that the IMO has received information from Pyongyang about its planned reschedule to launch its rocket.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the diplomats said the meeting would likely take place at 1100 ET (1600 GMT) at United Nations headquarters.
North Korea said through its official media that a satellite, named Kwangmyongsong-4, was put into orbit about 10 minutes after the multistage rocket blasted off from Tongchang-ri in its northwestern coast at 9 a.m. Pyongyang time.
The firing came about two hours after an eight-day launch window opened on Sunday morning.
North Korea in 2013 also did a nuclear test and then unnerved the global community by orchestrating an escalating campaign of bombast, including threats to fire nuclear missiles at the US and Seoul.
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Japan’s NHK broadcaster showed footage of an object visible in the skies from the southern island of Okinawa that was believed to be the rocket.
