UNITED NATIONS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The members of the UN Security Council on Monday strongly condemned the most recent ballistic missile launch conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Sunday.

The members of the Security Council expressed their "utmost concern" over the DPRK's highly destabilizing behavior and flagrant and provocative defiance of the Security Council by conducting this ballistic missile launch in violation of its international obligations under UN Security Council resolutions, according to a UN Security Council statement.

They agreed that the Security Council would "continue to closely monitor the situation and take further significant measures including sanctions, in line with the Council's previously expressed determination," said the statement.

The statement also said that the members of the Security Council vowed to "fully and comprehensively implement all measures imposed on the DPRK by the Security Council and strongly urge all other member states to do so in an expeditious and serious manner," in response to the DPRK's flagrant act of defying the will of the Security Council to denuclearize the DPRK emphasized on April 28 at the Ministerial Security Council meeting, it said.

"The members of the Security Council stressed that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's illegal ballistic missile activities are significantly contributing to its development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and are greatly increasing tension in the region and beyond," according to the statement.

They further regretted that the DRPK is "diverting resources to the pursuit of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons while its citizens have great unmet needs," the statement noted.

They emphasised "the vital importance" of the DPRK immediately "showing sincere commitment to denuclearization" through concrete action and stressed the importance of working to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and beyond, it said.

They reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in North-East Asia at large, expressed their commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation, and welcomed efforts by Council members, as well as other States, to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue, according to the statement.