London  - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Sunday condemned North Korea's rocket launching and accused Pyongyang of pursuing a "hostile policy" towards the world.

Miliband said that the launch was part of North Korea's "ballistic missile programme" and so it violated a UN Security Council resolution

"While Pyongyang continues to pursue a hostile policy towards the rest of the world, it cannot hope to take its rightful place within the international community.<

"I strongly urge North Korea to cease immediately all further missile-related activity and commit to engaging constructively with international partners," he said. dpa