U.N. Poised To Act Against North Korea After Latest Nuclear Test

The U.N. Security Council is set to implement "significant" punitive measures after North Korea's nuclear test and will begin working on a new resolution "immediately," a statement released by Security Council President Elbio Rosselli says.

After Wednesday's meeting, the council, which includes China, Russia and the United States, together condemned the test as a "clear violation of (past) resolutions ... and of the nonproliferation regime."

Along with "strongly condemning" the test, members of the council determined to create a resolution that acts on previous promises to further curb the reclusive state's ability to further its nuclear weapons program.

The 15-member U.N. Security Council held a closed-door meeting Wednesday geared to preventing Pyongyang from getting more nuclear weapons and punishing it for the test earlier that day.

Past U.N. measures included arms, nonproliferation and luxury good embargoes, a freeze on overseas financial assets and a travel ban. None of them have so far stopped North Korea from continuing its nuclear program.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to the leaders of South Korea and Japan, who both joined the President in condemning the act. Obama reaffirmed the United States' defense commitments to both of its regional allies.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye's office added that the two leaders agreed "there should be a corresponding price for this nuclear test."

North Korea bragged Wednesday about the "spectacular success" of its first hydrogen bomb test, a defiant act that leader Kim Jong Un, in a statement read on state television, said would "make the world ... look up to our strong nuclear country."