Response to North Korea's Missile Launch, UN Security Council Will Hold Meeting Today

North Korea's ballistic missile launch. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - The government strongly condemns the launch of two North Korean ballistic missiles on Monday, asking the UN Security Council to hold a meeting related to the launching, believing there will still be further provocations from Pyongyang.

The launch comes just two days after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the sea off Japan's west coast, prompting the United States to hold joint air exercises with South Korea and separately from Japan on Sunday.

North Korean state media confirmed the country fired two projectiles from several rocket launchers, targeting targets 395 km (245 miles) and 337 km (209 miles), respectively.

Japan's Ministry of Defense said the two missiles were fired at around 22.00 GMT, reaching a maximum altitude of about 100 km and 50 km and crashed beyond Japan's EEZ.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters Monday that Japan asked for an emergency UN Security Council meeting in response to North Korea's missile launch.

"We have to deepen cooperation between Japan-US and Japan-US-South Korea", PM Kishida said.

It is planned that the initial briefing of the UN Security Council will be chaired by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Khaled Khiari, on Monday.

Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno called North Korea's recent missile launch "completely unacceptable."

"His recent series of actions are completely unacceptable, and are a threat to the peace and security of our country, the region and the international community", he said, as reported by the Japan Times.

"It is clear that North Korea is pursuing a practical application for ICBM-class ballistic missiles", Matsuno said.

He noted North Korea might increase provocations, including more missile launches and nuclear tests, stressing the need for close cooperation with Washington and Seoul.