The South Korean government on Monday (Oct 9th) denounced a nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK) and urged Pyongyang "not to make a misjudgment in any case."

In a statement issued by the Presidential Office, the South Korean government said it would deal with DPRK's nuclear test strictly, noting that DPRK's possession of nuclear weapons "cannot be tolerated."

DPRK's nuclear test "is a serious threat that will shake the stability and peace of not only the Korean Peninsula but also the Northeast Asian region and an act that tramples down the international community that has wished for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and has sought to resolve the issue peacefully through dialogue," the statement said.

"The act by the North (DPRK) has deserted the principle of the Sept. 19 joint statement of the countries engaged in the six-party talks. It is also an unpardonable provocation that challenged the UN Security Council's resolution 1695 adopted on July 15. It also nullified the 1991 Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We make it clear again that the North (DPRK) will be responsible for all inter-Korean issues that follow hereafter," it said.

The statement also urged Pyongyang to immediately dismantle all of its programs related to nuclear weapons, return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and implement international rules as a responsible member of the international community.

"Our military, based on its alliance with the United States, is fully prepared to deal with any kind of provocative acts by the North (DPRK)," it added.

The statement also called for an immediate discussion of the issue on the UN Security Council.

"Our government is also determined to listen to a wide range of opinions from ruling and opposition party leaders to the representatives of our society and will take actions coordinated at home and abroad in a calm and strict manner," it said.

DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency said on Monday that the country had conducted an underground nuclear test successfully.

The South Korean government has called on an emergency meeting of security-related ministers to discuss counter measures, and heightened the security level of military forces in case of possible conflicts with DPRK.

Editor: Wing