UK Says to Seek Strong Response to N Korea’s Missile Test Through UN, EU

LONDON (Sputnik) – The United Kingdom is set to pursue a firm multilateral response to North Korea’s ballistic missile test through the United Nations and the European Union, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Saturday.

Earlier in the day, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said as quoted by local media that the North fired a ballistic missile from a submarine off the country's east coast.

"This latest provocation, yet another violation of UN Security Council Resolutions, underlines the threat that North Korea presents to regional and international security. In conducting this test, North Korea has again shown its blatant disregard for its international obligations and the UK will be working on a strong multilateral response through the UN and EU," Hammond said in a statement.

On April 14, Yonhap reported citing government and military sources that North Korea had allegedly deployed one or two Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles (also known as Rodong-B or BM-25) on its eastern coast. The following day, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the North appeared to have tried a missile launch, which ended in a failure.

Last month, North Korea launched five short-range missiles, which landed in the Sea of Japan. South Korean President Park Geun-hye ordered the country’s officials to be prepared to deter potential "reckless provocations" from the North.