UN chief demands North Korea cease 'any further nuclear activities'

United Nations: United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon today demanded that North Korea cease 'any further nuclear activities', as international criticism poured in from all quarters.

The United States, Japan and other members of the 15-member council were working on a draft text that would strongly condemn what Pyongyang has called a hydrogen bomb test, diplomats said.

The UN Security Council is planning to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss North Korea's reported test of a hydrogen bomb, the US mission to the United Nations said.

Several diplomats said the meeting was scheduled to take place at 11 am ET (1600 GMT). The diplomats said the meeting would likely be held behind closed doors.

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"The United States and Japan have requested emergency Security Council consultations for (Wednesday) morning regarding North Korea's alleged nuclear test," Hagar Chemali, spokeswoman for the US mission, said in a statement.

"While we cannot confirm at this time that a test was carried out, we condemn any violation of UNSC (UN Security Council) Resolutions and again call on North Korea to abide by its international obligations and commitments," she added.

The UN Security Council is considering imposing further sanctions on North Korea after it carried out a nuclear test, the British ambassador said.

"We will be working with others on a resolution on further sanctions," Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters.

North Korea said it had successfully conducted a test of a miniaturized hydrogen nuclear device on Wednesday morning, marking a significant advance in the isolated state's strike capabilities and ringing alarm bells in Japan and South Korea.

"We plan to work with other countries so that a resolution with strong content can be adopted at the U.N. Security Council as swiftly as possible," Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.

Pyongyang has been under UN Security Council sanctions due to its nuclear weapons program since it first tested an atomic device in 2006.