The South African government on Tuesday strongly condemned the latest nuclear test carried out by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

In a statement released to the media, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane described the test as a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions that prohibits the DPRK from conducting further tests.

The DPRK announced earlier that it had successfully carried out a nuclear test despite strong opposition from the international community.

"South Africa believes that it is a prerequisite for peace and security in the region that the DPRK, as a confidence building measure, verifiably proves to the international community that it has permanently and fully dismantled any nuclear weapons.

"South Africa continues to urge all parties involved to avoid any actions that could exacerbate the volatile situation in the region," Nkoana-Mashabane said.

South Africa reiterated its call for the DPRK to immediately return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The DPRK first announced its withdrawal from the NPT in 2003.



"South Africa wants DPRK to place all its facilities under the comprehensive International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verification," the minister said.

Under the NPT, member states are only allowed to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.