Pyongyang shuns criticism of rocket launch The North Korean national flag flies over its embassy in Beijing. PYONGYANG, North Korea, April 17 (UPI) -- Criticism by the United Nations of a long-range rocket launch last week violates North Korea's legitimate rights, the government said Tuesday. A rocket that North Korea said was deployed to carry an Earth observation satellite into orbit broke apart after launch. The U.N. Security Council adopted a presidential statement Monday saying the launch was a blatant violation of North Korea's international obligations. "Critically, the Security Council made clear that there will be consequences for any future North Korean launch or nuclear test," Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said in a statement. If North Korea chooses again to defy the international community, then the council has expressed its determination to take action accordingly. The North Korea government responded Tuesday by describing the presidential statement as "very unfair," the Yonhap news service in South Korea reports. North Korea, through its official Korean Central News Agency, said U.S.-South Korean military drills in the region were an act of aggression. "The situation goes to prove that it is the U.S. that has wrecked the peace and security on the Korean Peninsula," the report adds. North Korea is suspected of planning a third nuclear test. An agreement on moratorium on nuclear and missile tests in exchange for food assistance from the United States was suspended last week.