Despite international warnings and persuasion, North Korea carried out its third nuclear test on Tuesday. The UN Security Council has begun sanction talks while neighboring countries are moving to enforce their own respective sanctions. A new approach to the North Korean nuclear issue is also called for.

South Korea, China, Japan and the U.S. all detected artificial seismic waves from North Korea when the nuclear test was conducted. North Korea later confirmed it had carried out a test.

The Korea Meteorological Administration in Seoul said seismic waves measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale originated from Gilju County in North Hamgyong Province around 11:57 a.m. The administration said the epicenter is one to two kilometers away from the epicenters of the North's two previous nuclear tests.

At 2:43 p.m., the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency officially announced its underground nuclear test had been successful and that unlike in the past, it used a smaller, lighter atomic bomb with greater explosive power.

In the wake of the nuclear provocation, President Lee Myung-bak convened an emergency National Security Council meeting, and declared to take stern defense and diplomatic measures.

Following the 80 minute long meeting, the government issued a statement and denounced the nuclear test as an unacceptable threat to peace and safety on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, and an outright challenge to the whole international community.

The government also said that South Korea will take necessary steps, including measures by the UN, for the North to abandon its nukes.

The part about military action drew particular attention. The statement said that in order to protect South Korean lives from North Korea's nuclear and missile threat, missiles targeting all of North Korea that are currently being developed, will be deployed earlier than scheduled. It's the first time the government brought up defense measures against the North as opposed to diplomatic pressure through global cooperation and sanctions.

President-elect Park Geun-hye held an emergency meeting at the Presidential Transition Committee and strongly condemned the nuclear test. She also met with President Lee at 3 p.m. to discuss follow-up measures.

The National Assembly convened a plenary session on Thursday and adopted a resolution condemning the nuclear test and stating that North Korea is responsible for all problems resulting from its action.

The international community also made swift responses to news of the nuclear test. U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement calling the test a "highly provocative act" and pledged all necessary actions to defend the U.S. and its allies.

The UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting Tuesday and began talks on imposing powerful sanctions on Pyongyang, while some countries including Japan, are reviewing their own separate sanctions on the North. The leaders of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan have also talked via phone and agreed to cooperate on slapping additional sanctions on North Korea.