Sri Lanka is concerned at the launch of a rocket using ballistic missile technology by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which is in violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1874, Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.

A statement by the ministry said that while recognizing the imperative need for dialogue and cooperation between the relevant stakeholders at this juncture, Sri Lanka urges the concerned parties to work in close coordination within the existing UN Security Council Resolutions, in order to ensure peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned the rocket launch announced by the DPRK, calling the move "a clear violation" of relevant council resolutions.

The condemnation was contained in a statement read to the press by Mohammed Loulichki, Morocco's permanent representative to the United Nations, who holds the rotating council presidency for December.

The 15-nation council also pledged to "continue their consultations on the appropriate response in accordance with its responsibilities given the urgency of the matter."

The DPRK's official KCNA news agency on Wednesday confirmed that the country launched and orbited an earth observation satellite.

According to the KCNA, a Unha-3 rocket carrying the second version of the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite blasted off from the Sohae Space Center in Cholsan County, north of Phyongan Province.

The satellite, said the KCNA, entered its preset orbit 9 minutes and 27 seconds after the lift-off, and started going round the polar orbit. Endi