South Korea has condemned North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch and warned Pyongyang will be strongly punished if it refuses to denuclearize. 
 
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Cho June-hyuck said in a statement that Saturday's launch was the third within a month and a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions. He also called it a grave threat to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and the international community.
 
Cho said the launch was conducted only hours after the UNSC held its first ministerial-level meeting solely to discuss North's denuclearization. In that meeting, Cho said, members warned Pyongyang that challenges to the UNSC's authority won't be overlooked. 

Cho said the launch again revealed the North Korean regime's belligerence and recklessness to challenge the international community's will to denuclearize the North.
 
The statement added the North will face strong punitive measures, including actions by the UNSC, if the North continues to reject denuclearization. 

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