The DPRK's nuclear test immediately raised concerns across the world. The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the nuclear test.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in Copenhagen that he was "deeply disturbed" by the nuclear test.
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General, said, " I sincerely hope that Security Council will take necessary corresponding measures."
South Korea's Defense Ministry said it had launched a "crisis management team" of general-level officers.
Lee Dong-Kwan, Spokesman of S. Korean Presidential Office, said, "This is a provocative action which will never be tolerated. "
The Japanese government has set up a special task force at the emergency management center of the Prime Minister's office.
Taro Aso, Japanese Prime Minister, said, "The DPRK's nuclear test is a serious challenge to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolution. We will not tolerate such activity."
U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the test as a "threat to international peace and security."
Obama said in a statement that the behavior undermines stability in Northeast Asia and such provocative actions will only serve to deepen the DPRK's isolation.
The Russian Foreign Minister voiced concern about the test, calling it a blow to non-proliferation efforts.
The European Union also expressed concerns about the development.
Major European powers including Germany, France and the UK all condemned the nuclear test in the strongest terms.
(CCTV May 26, 2009)
