UN Security Council condemns North Korean missile launch

The United Nations Security Council has formally condemned North Korea's latest missile launch, demanding that it "immediately" ceases further actions that violate resolutions.

"The members of the Security Council expressed their utmost concern over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's highly destabilising behaviour and flagrant and provocative defiance of the Security Council by conducting this ballistic missile launch in violation of its international obligations," a statement read.

It called on the reclusive state to show "sincere commitment to denuclearisation and stressed the importance of working to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and beyond."

North Korea has recently escalated its missile and nuclear weapons programs. On Sunday, it attempted to test fire another missile, but it was unsuccessful, according to South Korean and U.S. officials.

The attempted launch occurred a day after the regime of Kim Jong Un showed off a bevy of new missiles and launchers at a large-scale military parade on the Day of the Sun, North Korea's most important holiday.

The Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the United Nations said in a statement that the UN spokesman "must distinguish who is responsible for the current severe situation of the Korean peninsula being aggravated to the brink of war and should behave impartially and with caution."

"The root cause of current aggravated situation of the Korean peninsula is none other than the Untied States (sic) which has been staging the ever largest provocative aggressive joint military exercises in South Korea aiming at pre-emptive strike, 'decapitation operation' and 'overthrow of the DPRK system' with all kinds of nuclear strategic weapons," the statement added.

It said that it had requested Security Council discussions on U.S.-South Korean military exercises "several times."

The United States and South Korea are currently conducting annual, bilateral training exercises, codenamed "Max Thunder.