While South Korea put its military on alert, the UN Security Council called an emergency meeting to discuss the North Korean explosion -- a much bigger follow-up to its first nuclear test in 2006 -- and reports that it also tested a short-range missile.

"These actions, while not a surprise given its statements and actions to date, are a matter of grave concern to all nations," Obama said in a statement.

China voices 'resolute opposition' to NKorea nuclear test: govt China, North Korea's closest and most powerful ally, Monday voiced "resolute opposition" to the secretive regime's nuclear test in a rare instance of open criticism between the two communist neighbours. The Chinese foreign ministry also said in a statement that North Korea, one of the world's most isolated regimes, should halt actions that could aggravate tensions in the region. "Disregarding the common objections of the international community, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has again tested a nuclear device," the ministry said, referring to North Korea by its official name. "The Chinese government expresses its resolute opposition to this," said the statement posted on the ministry's website. North Korea announced Monday that it had carried out a second nuclear bomb test. Pyongyang staged its first one in 2006. "China strongly demands that North Korea keep its promise of denuclearisation and cease all actions that could further worsen the situation," the foreign ministry said. It urged North Korea to return to six-nation talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear programme, held on and off since 2003. China is the host of the talks, which apart from North Korea also include Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States. EU chief Barroso hits out at North Korea 'provocation' European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Monday condemned North Korea's nuclear test and called on the international community to reject the regime's latest act of "provocation." "I totally condemn this provocation from the North Korean regime and I hope that the international community will be very clear also in its rejection of the move," Barroso told reporters at a press conference in Copenhagen, where he attended a summit on climate change. He described North Korea as a "totalitarian regime which is not capable of feeding its people properly" yet could find sufficient resources to buy nuclear weapons. Barroso added however that the European Union would still look to "encourage talks" with Pyongyang. Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen, who was also participating in the press conference, slammed Pyongyang's decision to carry out the test as well. "What happened in North Korea this morning calls for international action," Rasmussen told journalists. Czech Republic condemns North Korea nuclear test Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout, whose country currently holds the presidency of the European Union, Monday condemned North Korea's testing of a nuclear bomb as a serious threat to world peace. "I energetically condemn the nuclear test carried out by the People's Democratic Republic of Korea," Kohout said in a statement after North Korea defied international pressure and announced a successful test. "This test threatens the stability of the Korean peninsula and the whole region, and represents a serious threat to international peace and security," Kohout added. Kohout described Monday's test as a "flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1718" of 2006, which sought to ban North Korea from further nuclear tests and urge it back into negotiations. Vietnam voices 'grave concern' at NKorea test Vietnam expressed grave concern at North Korea's announcement of a nuclear test on Monday and called for a resumption of six-nation nuclear talks. "Vietnam is gravely concerned with PDRK's announcement of a nuclear test", said Le Dung, spokesman for the communist regime's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was referring to Stalinist North Korea by its formal initials. "This action will complicate the situation and does not serve the interest of peace and stability in the region." In a move that angered its enemies and allies alike, Pyongyang announced it conducted on Monday an underground nuclear test "for self-defence". "We call on concerned parties to restrain and resolve complicated issues that may arise through peaceful means, including early resumption of the six-party talks," Dung said. Poland deeply alarmed by North Korean nuclear test Poland's foreign ministry on Monday strongly condemned North Korea's nuclear test, saying it was deeply alarmed. "The Republic of Poland expresses its deep alarm over North Korea's completion of an underground nuclear test on May 25, 2009," the statement said. "The nuclear test is a violation of UN Security Council resolution 1718 from 2006 and has a negative influence on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and north-east Asia," it said. Poland also called on North Korea's authorities to cooperate with the international community and return to talks with Russia, South Korea, the United States, Japan and China as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"North Korea's attempts to develop nuclear weapons, as well as its ballistic missile programme, constitute a threat to international peace and security."

"The danger posed by North Korea's threatening activities warrants action by the international community," said the US president, whose military chief of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, said the North was becoming "increasingly belligerent".

South Korea's President Lee Myung-Bak chaired a special national security council meeting and his spokesman, Lee Dong-Kwan, said the North's test posed a "grave challenge" to international non-proliferation efforts.

In Japan, government spokesman Takeo Kawamura warned of "stern action against North Korea."

"We have to coordinate among Japan, South Korea and the United States and take firm action. For us, it raises tensions in the region extremely," said Prime Minister Taro Aso, whose country led calls for the UN Security Council emergency session which was to be held later Monday in New York.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, himself South Korean, said he was "deeply disturbed" at events.

The main powers on the council all strongly condemned North Korea with France urging sanctions against Kim Jong-Il's Stalinist administration.

Even China, the secretive North's closest international ally, called on its neighbour to ease tensions and expressed "resolute opposition" to the blast.

"China strongly demands that North Korea keeps its promise of denuclearisation and ceases all actions that could further worsen the situation," the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.

Russia, which has sought a role in efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, called the test a threat to peace.

"The latest steps by North Korea provoke an escalation of tensions in northeast Asia and threaten the security and stability of the region," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown denounced the nuclear test as a "danger to the world". France called on the UN Security Council to impose tough new sanctions against North Korea.

"France is concerned and condemns this test in the strongest terms. It is without a doubt a violation of international law and engagements made by North Korea to the international community," government spokesman Luc Chatel said. "Therefore France asks for the strongest sanctions."

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana also called for "a firm response by the international community."

South Korea, Russia, China, the United States and United Nations have sought to engage the North in so-called "six-party" talks on its nuclear programme.

But a 2007 accord broke down with the North's test-firing of a long range missile this year. North Korea angrily reactivated its nuclear programme after being condemned by the UN Security Council for that action.

Many experts have accused North Korea of using the test blast as a means to secure international concessions.

"They have serious economic problems, they struggle to feed their people and they are lacking everything. They are clearly engaged in a cynical game where they are using nuclear technology to gain economic and energy advantages," said Norway's Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country takes over the EU presidency on July 1, said: "It is alarming that the North Korean regime continues to provoke the international community."

"In a poor and oppressed society, the very closed regime is spending enormous resources on these increasingly serious provocations," he said.

earlier related report
Obama calls NKorea nuclear test threat to world peace
US President Barack Obama said North Korea's claimed nuclear test constituted a "threat to international peace and security" on Monday, and urged international action against the isolated state.

"These actions, while not a surprise given its statements and actions to date, are a matter of grave concern to all nations," Obama said in a statement.

"The danger posed by North Korea's threatening activities warrants action by the international community," Obama said.

His comments echo those from capitals around the world, many of which rushed to condemn North Korea after it said it had detonated a nuclear bomb early Monday.

The test came despite international pressure on Pyongyang to rein in its nuclear program after years of disarmament talks and is likely to deepen the diplomatic stand-off.

United Nations Security Council members are expected to meet in an emergency session later Monday to discuss the test.

US top military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, described an "increasingly belligerent challenge from North Korea," adding there was no reason to disbelieve the Asian nation's claim it carried out the test.

"While it will take us a couple of days to verify this test, certainly there's no indication that it wasn't as they say," Mullen told CNN.

The communist state tested an atomic bomb for the first time in October 2006 and a long-range rocket in April. It had threatened another nuclear test after the UN Security Council censured it for the rocket launch.

North Korea announced the latest test soon after the US Geological Survey reported a magnitude 4.7 seismic event in the proximity of the site of North Korea's first nuclear test.

It also coincided with the celebration in the United States of Memorial Day, which is dedicated to the memory of Americans who gave their lives in various conflicts, including the 1950-1953 Korean War.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the North also appears to have test-fired a short-range missile Monday from its launch site at Musudan-ri near Kilju.

Obama warned Pyongyang that its attempts to build a nuclear arsenal would only contribute to its further isolation.

"North Korea's attempts to develop nuclear weapons, as well as its ballistic missile program, constitute a threat to international peace and security," he said.

"By acting in blatant defiance of the United Nations Security Council, North Korea is directly and recklessly challenging the international community," Obama said.

"North Korea's behavior increases tensions and undermines stability in Northeast Asia. Such provocations will only serve to deepen North Korea's isolation."

He said North Korea "will not find international acceptance unless it abandons its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery."

A US State Department official said the United States has begun consultations with its allies about North Korea's claim and a course of action.

China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States have been negotiating since 2003 to persuade the North to abandon nuclear weapons in exchange for energy and security guarantees.

The negotiations led to a 2007 agreement under which the North said it would dismantle its nuclear facilities. The deal bogged down last December over verification.

In April, the North outraged the international community with a long-range rocket launch, a move that many nations said was actually a ballistic missile test.

After the UN Security Council condemned the launch and tightened sanctions, the North vowed to conduct a second nuclear test as well as ballistic missile tests unless the world body apologized.

It also announced that it was quitting the six-way talks, which are hosted by its closest ally China, and would restart its plutonium-making program.

However, Obama stressed that his administration will continue working with allies and partners in the six-party talks as well as other members of the UN Security Council to resolve the new nuclear crisis.

The impact of the test was felt on world money markets, despite light trading thanks to holidays in the United States and Britain, with the dollar firming against the yen and the euro as traders rushed to the safe-haven Us currency.

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