UNITED NATIONS/SEOUL - THE UN Security Council scheduled discussions on Monday on North Korea's latest missile launches as a North Korean ship suspected of carrying a banned arms cargo was expected to return home.

The 15-nation council was to hold closed-door consultations at 4 pm (4am Singapore time), a UN spokesman said.

The meeting comes after Pyongyang fired seven ballistic missiles on Saturday into the Sea of Japan in defiance of Security Council resolutions that prohibit such launches.

Western nations were hoping the council would produce a statement condemning the launches, a Western diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

The meeting was requested by Japan, which currently sits on the council, the diplomat added.

It was not immediately clear what view China, which holds a veto in the council and is the closest Pyongyang has to an ally there, would take.

The launches on the US July 4 Independence Day holiday were seen as an act of defiance toward the United States, which has cracked down on firms suspected of helping the North in its arms and missiles trade.

North Korea appears to have fired two mid-range Rodong missiles, which can hit all of South Korea and most of Japan, and five shorter-range Scud missiles, which can strike most of South Korea, South Korean officials told reporters.

Last month, the Security Council passed a resolution expanding previous UN sanctions against North Korea in response to a May 25 nuclear test by Pyongyang.

A UN sanctions committee is considering blacklisting more North Korean companies and individuals for supporting Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. It is meant to complete its work by Friday.

The North Korean cargo ship was meanwhile expected to return home on Monday after a voyage that was tracked by the US Navy and tested the UN sanctions, South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said.

The return of the Kang Nam, which set sail in mid-June, could ease tensions raised by the missile launches. South Korean dailies said it was headed for the North's port of Nampo after a journey that took it close to Myanmar. -- REUTERS