UN chief Ban Ki-moon denounces N Korea's rocket launch; asks country to halt 'provocative actions'

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday denounced North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket and asked the country to halt its "provocative actions" and return to compliance with its international obligations.

Condemning the launch as "deeply deplorable", the UN chief said it was in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

"It is deeply deplorable that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has conducted a launch using ballistic missile technology in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions despite the united plea of the international community against such an act," Ban said in a statement.

Ban reiterated his call on North Korea to halt its "provocative actions" and return to compliance with its international obligations.

He reaffirmed his commitment to working with all sides in reducing tensions and achieving the verifiable denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, the UN statement said.

Meanwhile, United Nations Security Council has convened an an emergency meeting today over North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket.

North Korea today said it had successfully put a satellite into orbit, with a rocket launch widely condemned as a ballistic missile test for a weapons delivery system to strike the US mainland.

It is already subject to numerous UN sanctions over previous rocket launches and three nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013.