United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security CouncilReuters

The United Nations Security Council on Monday condemned North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch, expressing concern over the country’s "highly destabilizing behavior and flagrant and provocative defiance" of the 15-member body, Reuters reported.

North Korea said earlier on Monday it had successfully tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile, adding the test was meant to confirm the reliability of the late-stage guidance of the nuclear warhead.

The country’s official news agency further said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test, which also verified the functioning of the solid-fuel engine for the Pukguksong-2 missile fired from a mobile launcher.

The test marks the latest provocation from North Korea, which has continued to carry out nuclear and ballistic missile tests despite being sanctioned by the UN.

North Korea previously conducted a latest ballistic missile test a week ago, and later claimed it had successfully conducted a mid-to-long range missile test, which was aimed at verifying the capability to carry a "large scale heavy nuclear warhead".

Two weeks earlier, Pyongyang carried out a ballistic missile test which appeared to have failed.

The Security Council is due to meet behind closed doors on Tuesday to discuss Sunday's missile launch at the request of the United States, Japan and South Korea, noted Reuters.

The council first imposed sanctions on Pyongyang in 2006.