The meeting requested by the United States, Britain and France follows North Korea's statement that it tested a new hypersonic gliding missile -- the latest apparent advance in the nuclear-armed nation's weapons technology.

But a one-day delay was requested by Russia and China, who said they want more time to study the situation, one diplomat said.

In 2017 at the behest of the Trump administration, the Security Council imposed tough economic sanctions against North Korea three times after it staged a nuclear test and several involving conventional missiles.

Since Joe Biden took power in the US in January of this year, France has initiated requests for a closed door council meeting when North Korea carries out a missile test.

Less than an hour after North Korea's short range missile test on Tuesday, Pyongyang's United Nations ambassador Kim Song told the UN General Assembly in New York: "Nobody can deny the right to self-defense for the DPRK", North Korea's official name.