The foreign ministers of South Korea and Russia will speak by phone later on Wednesday to discuss their responses to North Korea's latest nuclear test, the Foreign Ministry said.

Last week Pyongyang claimed it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb, drastically raising tensions in the region to a new high. As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, Russia's role will be critical in adopting a new sanctions resolution punishing the North for its fourth nuclear test.

North Korea is already under a wide array of sanctions for its three previous nuclear tests, which are banned by past resolutions.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov will hold talks at 5 p.m. (local time), the ministry said in a text message to reporters.

Yun held phone talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida shortly after the North's test last Wednesday. He also spoke with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday. The ministry noted Russia's New Year's holiday season ended on Sunday.

The five countries are all members of the six-party talks aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The negotiations, however, have broken down since their last session in late 2008. (Yonhap)