U.N. chief condemns N.K. nuclear tests, calls for Security Council to take 'appropriate action'

NEW YORK, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned North Korea's fifth nuclear test and urged the Security Council to take "appropriate action."

Ban made the remark to reporters, saying he condemns the nuclear test "in the strongest possible
terms" as "yet another brazen breach of the resolutions of the Security Council."

"I count on the Security Council to remain united and take appropriate action. We must urgently break this accelerating spiral of escalation," Ban said.

It is unusual for Ban to call a press conference to condemn North Korean provocations, rather than issuing a statement. The move was seen as aimed at underlining his message to the Security Council that was set to hold an urgent meeting on the North's nuclear test later in the day.
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