North Korea's neighbours lined up on Wednesday to condemn Pyongyang's claimed hydrogen bomb test, saying it posed a grave threat to regional security.
Several governments promised a firm response as tensions soared again in northeast Asia, many calling for further action by the United Nations against the hermit nation, which is already subject to heavy international sanctions.
The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday in New York. The closed-door morning talks between the 15 member nations were called by the United Nations and Japan.
"The nuclear test that was carried out by North Korea is a serious threat to the safety of our nation and we absolutely cannot tolerate this," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in Tokyo.
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye called the test a "grave provocation" at an emergency meeting of the Country's National Security Council (NSC) convened immediately after the news broke.
"The test is not only a grave provocation to our national security but also a threat to our future... and a strong challenge to international peace and stability," she said, calling for strong sanctions on Pyongyang.
In Washington, the White House would not confirm the test, but vowed to "respond appropriately to any and all North Korean provocations".
'A serious threat': World reacts after North Korea tests its first H-Bomb - Firstpost
