**The UN Security Council is to meet to discuss North Korea’s latest test-launch of ballistic missiles.**The council is meeting at Japan’s request later on Monday after seven missiles were fired off North Korea’s eastern coast on Saturday.
North Korea is banned from all ballistic missile-related activities under UN sanctions.
The sanctions were strengthened after the communist nation carried out a second underground nuclear test in May.
North Korea is now banned from exporting all weapons and importing all but small arms.
Under the terms, North Korean ships are also liable for inspection.
The meeting of the 15-member council is scheduled for 2000 GMT.
NORTH KOREA 2009 TESTS
- 4 July - Seven suspected ballistic missiles fired
- 2 July - four short-range cruise missiles launched
- 25 May - second underground nuclear test brings new UN sanctions
- 25/26 May - series of short-range rockets fired
- 5 April - N Korea says long-range rocket was satellite launch
North Korea’s missile programme
What is North Korea’s game plan
The missile launches on Saturday were apparently timed to coincide with Independence Day in the United States - a similar volley was fired on the same day in 2006.
Saturday’s seven Scud-type ballistic missiles had a range of about 500km (312 miles).
The missiles fell into the Sea of Japan, known in South Korea as the East Sea.
Both South Korea and Japan called the launches an “act of provocation”.
On Monday the US chief of naval operations, Adm Gary Roughead, said the launches were “very unhelpful”.
Ties between North Korea and the outside world have grown extremely tense since it walked away from six-nation talks aimed at ending its nuclear programme.
It subsequently said it would “weaponise” its plutonium stocks and start enriching uranium, prompting fears that it is working to produce nuclear warheads small enough to put on missiles - though analysts say it could take a long time to do so.