The Group of Seven calls on the United Nations to respond "strongly" to North Korea's missile tests

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major industrialized nations said on Sunday that the United Nations Security Council needed to take "strong measures" in response to North Korea's recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

On Monday, the Security Council will hold a meeting on North Korea at the request of the United States, after the launch, the latest in a series of missile tests it has conducted this year.

The ministers of the United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, Britain, France and Italy said that "North Korea's actions demand a unified and strong response from the international community."

On Friday, Pyongyang tested a ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland, shortly after it warned of "heavier military responses" to Washington, which has beefed up its security presence in the region.

The Group of Seven said in a statement that Friday's test was a "reckless act" that represented "another flagrant violation" of United Nations resolutions.

"The unprecedented series of illegal ballistic missile launches conducted by North Korea in 2022 ... constitute a serious threat to regional and international peace and security," it added.

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