DPRK conducts nuclear test despite international opposition(2)

In Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama also condemned Tuesday's nuclear test. While describing the blast as "highly provocative," he urged the international community to come up with "further swift and credible action."

He said in a statement issued by the White House that the test "undermines regional stability, violates North Korea's obligations under numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions."

Obama said the DPRK's latest move contravenes its commitments under the Sept. 19, 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks on the DPRK's nuclear programs and "increases the risk of proliferation."

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at the lower house that the nuclear test is "regrettable" and violated relevant UN resolutions.

Abe said his government is mulling imposing unilateral sanctions on the DPRK over the nuclear test.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it firmly opposed DPRK's nuclear test and urged Pyongyang to honor its denuclearization commitment and not take any actions that would worsen the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The DPRK recently vowed to proceed with missile and nuclear tests targeting the United States, its "sworn enemy," to protest the UN condemnation over its Dec. 12 rocket launch.

Pyongyang conducted similar nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009.