S. Korea welcomes U.N. condemnation of N.K. missile launches

South Korea on Friday welcomed the U.N. Security Council's adoption of a press statement condemning North Korea's ballistic missile launches earlier this week.

Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement that the Security Council's response sent a warning to Pyongyang and underscored the importance of deterring the North's "wrong behavior" through the international community's faithful execution of sanctions against the country.

"Our government welcomes the Security Council's swift announcement of its condemnation of North Korea's repeated provocations, and will continue to make diplomatic efforts in close coordination with the international community for the faithful implementation of the Security Council resolutions on North Korea," the ministry's statement said.

On Thursday, the council adopted a press statement strongly condemning the North's test launch of two intermediate-range ballistic missiles a day earlier.

The first one exploded in midair, but the second missile flew about 400 kilometers before landing in the East Sea, indicating progress in the North's missile program.

The council statement said the launches were in "grave violation" of the North's international obligations under existing council resolutions that ban the country from using ballistic missile technology. It urged the North to refrain from similar actions and called on member states of the Security Council to "redouble their efforts to implement fully" U.N. sanctions on the North.

In March, the Security Council slapped the toughest-yet sanctions on the North for its fourth nuclear test and its long-range rocket launch early this year. "The members of the Security Council agreed that the Security Council would continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures in line with the Council's previously expressed determination," the statement said. (Yonhap)