Anchor: The UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea’s test firing of a submarine launched ballistic missile(SLBM) on Wednesday. As the council is working on wordings of a press statement on the North Korean missile test, attention is being drawn to China whether it will change its ambivalent attitude toward its communist ally. 
Our Kim Bum-soo reports.

Report: The UN Security Council(UNSC) on Wednesday held an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea's test firing of a ballistic missile from a submarine.

At the closed-door session held at the request of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, member states are said to have agreed that Wednesday's launch came in violation of the UNSC resolutions.

Council's current president, Ambassador Ramlan Bin Ibrahim of Malaysia, told reporters that there was a general sense of condemnation by most members of the council.

He said the U.S. is drafting a press statement for other members to review.

Council members discussed the realistic threat the North Korean missile program now poses to neighboring countries, given the projectile breached the Japanese Air Defense Identification Zone.

But it is uncertain if South Korea, the U.S. and Japan have drawn China and Russia's cooperation at the latest UNSC gathering. 

While disagreeing over Seoul and Washington's decision to deploy the U.S. THAAD interceptors on the Korean Peninsula, China has opposed to adopting new UNSC resolutions against the North's three ballistic missile launches that came before the SLBM test Wednesday.

With the UNSC remains undecided about the strength of its response to North Korea, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement through his spokesman, noting that the launch came in defiance of the united opposition from the international community.

[Sound bite: Stéphane Dujarric - Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (English)]
"Not only are such actions a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions but they also undermine peace and stability in the Korean peninsula."

Over in Washington, the U.S. State Department's Press Director Elizabeth Trudeau said that the launch only serves to increase the international community’s resolve to counter Pyongyang's prohibited activities.

[Sound bite: Elizabeth Trudeau - Press Office Director, State Department (English)]
"The U.S. commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats remains ironclad. We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies."

Washington officials said that the option of more sanctions is not off the table. But as it became more apparent that North Korea managed to advance its SLBM technology while ignoring UN resolutions, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest acknowledged that isolation has not yet had the desired effect on North Korea. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.