N. Korea's sixth nuclear test embarasses Chinese President Xi Jinping as he hosts BRICS summit meeting

Arirang - Updated: 2017-09-03 16:13:15 KST

South Korea has strongly condemned North Korea's nuclear test conducted at its Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

Calling the test irresponsible and unacceptable, Seoul said the ball is now in North Korea's court: whether to face diplomatic and economic isolation or secure security and economic development by denuclearizing.

China may be one of the countries most outraged by Pyongyang's sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sunday as Beijing has been one of the few calling for ''dialogue''' as preferable to tougher sanctions.

Beijing expressed strong condemnation of North Korea's nuclear test and called on Pyongyang to stop provocative acts that worsen the situation on the Korean peninsula.

The timing of Sunday's test was a major embarrassment for Chinese President Xi Jinping as he was hosting the BRICS summit meeting as Pyongyang had ruined China's big celebration it had long prepared for.

But, nevertheless, at the BRICS summit's opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the pursuit of common interests in the region while recognizing differences and stressed his opposition to trying to solve problems unilaterally, hinting Beijing will continue to call for a peaceful resolution to the tensions.

Japan, within striking distance of North Korea, was one of the quickest to respond after the seismic tremor was first detected at around 12:30 p.m., local time.

Around half an hour later,… Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speaking to reporters outside his residence, said there's a great possibility that the regime has conducted a nuclear test and that it will be unacceptable if this turns out to be true.

Abe called for emergency meetings of Japan's national security councils, and its Foreign Minister, Taro Kono, requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council after the test was confirmed.

Trump and Abe, in a phone conversation hours before Pyongyang's nuclear test, had reaffirmed trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo so it's most likely Beijing could pressured to stronger sanctions it had refrained from by possibly cutting off oil supplies to Pyongyang.

Connie Kim, Arirang News.

Reporter : connie1223@arirang.co.kr