North Korea's foreign ministry says it rejects a UN Security Council statement denouncing its latest missile launch test.
The North's state-run KCNA news agency cited a spokesman at the ministry as saying Sunday's launch was a sovereign right and a self-defence measure.
Han Tae Song, the new Ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the United Nations in Geneva, addressed the UN-backed Conference on Disarmament a day after taking up his post.
"The various test fires conducted by DPRK for building up self-defence capabilities are, with no exception, self-defence measures to protect national sovereignty and the safety of the people against direct threats by hostile forces," Han told the 61-member-state forum.
"My delegation strongly rejects the latest statement of the UN Security Council and all UN resolutions against my country."
Han said the divided Korean peninsula "remains the world's biggest hot spot with a constant danger of war".
He condemned joint military exercises carried out annually by South Korea and the United States, as well as what he called "nuclear threats" and blackmail towards his country.
"It is the legitimate self-defence right of the sovereign state to possess strong deterrence to cope with such threat by hostile forces aimed at overthrowing the state and the socialist system," he said.
The UN Security Council on Monday denounced the missile launch, urging members to "redouble efforts" to enforce sanctions against the reclusive state, but gave no indications of any action it might take.
In New York, US ambassador Nikki Haley said in a statement after the Security Council meeting that it was "time to hold North Korea accountable" with "actions".
US Japanese and South Korean military officials held a teleconference on Monday in which they condemned the launch as "a clear violation" of multiple Security Council resolutions.
China, North Korea's main ally, said the missile launch violated Security Council resolutions but called on all parties to "exercise restraint".
The way to defuse the situation was through dialogue, China said, calling for a return to talks.
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