US President George W. Bush branded North Korea's nuclear test "a threat to international peace and security" and called for an immediate response by the UN Security Council. "Once again North Korea has defied the will of the international community, and the international community will respond," the US president said in a hastily arranged public statement at the White House.
Bush, who declined to confirm Pyongyang's claim to have tested a nuclear device, said that he had discussed the crisis with the leaders of China, South Korea, Russia and Japan, Washington's chief partners on North Korea.
"We reaffirmed our commitment to a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. And all of us agreed that the proclaimed actions taken by North Korea are unacceptable and deserve an immediate response by the United Nations Security Council," he said.
The United States ambassador to the world body, John Bolton, said that Washington sought action under Chapter Seven of the UN charter, setting in motion a process that could lead to sanctions and eventually the use of force.
"We're looking, as the president said in his comments, for very swift action by the Security Council," he said. "We'll be going 24/7 if we need to be to get this resolution adopted quickly."
Bush also warned North Korea that Washington would view any transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to other countries or non-state entities -- like terrorist groups -- as "a grave threat" to US security.
"We would hold North Korea fully accountable of the consequences of such action," he said, accusing the Stalinist regime of transferring missile technology to Syria and Iran.
Bush said that he remained "committed to diplomacy" but also stressed that the United States "will continue to protect ourselves and our interests" and will follow through on pledges to protect allies in the region.
Since November 2005, the communist regime has boycotted six-way talks that bring it together with the United States, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia to try to bring an end to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Pyongyang had conducted its first nuclear weapon test Monday, calling it a "historic event."
The agency said the test was carried out safely and successfully.
"We're working to confirm North Korea's claim. Such a claim itself constitutes a threat to international peace and security. The United States condemns this provocative act," said Bush.
"Threats will not lead to a brighter future for the North Korean people, nor weaken the resolve of the United States and our allies to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," said Bush.
As he spoke, the UN Security Council began an emergency session to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapon test and the nomination of South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon as the new UN secretary general.
The talks were due to thrash out the council's response to Pyongyang's first such test, with several members openly calling for sanctions against the Stalinist regime.
Pyongyang announced October 3 that it would test nuclear weapons in response to what it described as US military threats and sanctions, jangling nerves worldwide just three months after North Korea test fired long-range missiles.
"Today's claim by North Korea serves only to raise tensions, while depriving the North Korean people of the increased prosperity and better relations with the world offered by the implementation of the joint statement of the six-party talks," said Bush.
As part of an agreement reached in the six-party talks on September 19, 2005, the United States had made security guarantees to North Korea in exchange for Pyongyang agreeing to renounce its nuclear weapons program.
But Pyongyang said the removal of US sanctions imposed for alleged money laundering and counterfeiting of US currency was the condition for its return to the negotiating table.
