TOKYO (Sputnik) — The government of South Korea has condemned a new missile test carried out by North Korea as a challenge to peace and security of the international community, Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said Wednesday.
"It is a brute challenge to a number of decisions of the UN Security Council on the nuclear and missile provocations of North Korea, and the government [of South Korea] strongly condemns it, regarding it a threat not only on the Korean Peninsula but to the peace and security of the entire international community," Cho said as quoted by Yonhap news agency.
Earlier in the day, North Korea reportedly launched a ballistic missile from Sinpho, South Hamgyong province towards the Sea of Japan. The missile flew around 37 miles, reaching the altitude of 117 miles.
North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2005. The United States, Japan and South Korea, as well as Russia and China, took part in talks with Pyongyang between 2003 and 2009 on denuclearizing the Korean peninsula, but North Korea withdrew from the talks.
North Korea's missile and nuclear programs have been a contentious issue of concern for the neighboring countries and their allies, with every new missile launch by Pyongyang raising tensions in the peninsula.
