Calling the North's missile launch "irresponsible and imprudent," Choo Mi-ae, the ruling party chief, warned that the communist regime could only ensure its security through dialogue and peaceful coexistence rather than through its possession of nuclear arms.

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party called for the Moon Jae-in administration to strengthen security cooperation with the United States and Japan in reining in the pugnacious regime.

"The North's reckless armed provocation is at a phase that poses a threat to the entire world," Jun Hee-kyung, the party's spokeswoman, said.

"The government must bear in mind that the only means to ensure the security of the Republic of Korea is to seek security cooperation with the US and Japan and pursue (stronger) anti-Pyongyang sanctions."

The minor opposition People's Party stressed the need for Seoul and Washington to explore a way to completely cut off oil supplies to the North or other stringent measures to tighten the screws on the unruly regime.

"We need the government's diplomatic and security capabilities to make the North have no other choice but to opt for dialogue, through applying strong sanctions," Lee Haeng-ja, the party's spokeswoman, said.

The Bareun Party urged the Moon government to consider reorienting its dialogue-centered policy.

"The prevailing public opinion is that what we are facing now is the result (of the Moon government's) obsession with dialogue," Yu Eui-dong, the party's spokesman, said. (Yonhap)