The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday condemned North Korea's recent ballistic missile tests, saying they contribute to Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons delivery systems.

The Security Council unanimously adopted the press statement, a day after the North attempted unsuccessfully to launch a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile believed to be capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam.

The missile is believed to have exploded on a mobile launcher as soon as the fire button was pressed.

It was the North's fourth test of the Musudan missile after the first on April 15 and two more on April 28. All three previous launches also ended in failure, with the missile either exploding in midair or crashing seconds after launch.

"These repeated attempted launches are in grave violation of the DPRK's international obligations under United Nations Security Council resolutions," the statement said. DPRK is the acronym of North Korea's official name: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The council also said it deplores the North's ballistic missile activities, saying they "contribute to the DPRK's development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension."

It also urged the North to refrain from additional provocations, including nuclear tests, while calling on member states to redouble efforts to carry out sanctions resolutions on the communist nation. (Yonhap)