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UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet behind closed doors at 17:00 EST (2200 GMT) on Monday to discuss the launch of a ballistic missile on Sunday by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), diplomats said here.
The closed council meeting will be held at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea, the diplomats said.
Earlier Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a statement issued by his spokesman, strongly condemned the latest move by Pyongyang, saying "This action is a further troubling violation of (UN) Security Council resolutions."
Under relevant UN resolutions, the DPRK is barred from staging ballistic missile launches or nuclear weapons tests.
"The DPRK leadership must return to full compliance with its international obligations and to the path of denuclearization," the statement said. "The secretary-general appeals to the international community to continue to address this situation in a united manner."
The DPRK on Monday claimed it had successfully test-fired Pukguksong-2, a surface-to-surface medium- and long-range ballistic missile.
