H-bombs are many times more powerful than ordinary atom bombs but also much more hard to develop, and it is unlikely the North has made much progress in that direction.
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North Korea is ready to detonate a hydrogen bomb to “defend its sovereignty and the dignity of the nation”, leader Kim Jong Un said Thursday – a threat that remains unsubstantiated.
In 2010, North Korea’s Rodong Simmun newspaper declared that the country had succeeded in nuclear fusion reaction-commonly interpreted to mean hydrogen bombs.
If true, the development would mark a significant advancement in North Korean nuclear capabilities.
Song Il Kim was arrested in Hawaii after agreeing to pay $22,000 for the equipment and packing it into boxes that he claimed were filled with used toys and towels so he could ship them to his Chinese business, charges state. Those weapons require far more advanced technology than the North Koreans are believed to have, as well as access to raw materials, as well as an ability to miniaturize the weaponry that North Korea is presently not believed to have.
“The UN Security Council must seize the opportunity today to tell perpetrators of crimes against humanity in North Korea that ultimately they will be held accountable”, said Nicole Bjerler.
With that in mind – backed with technical evidence, experts are skeptical about Pyongyang’s latest claim, according to CNN. “These, in addition to a litany of other gross human rights violations, have still not been halted or reversed by the Government of the DPRK”, Zeid said, using an acronym for the official name of the country, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
“The UN Security Council has a chance to show that the world has not forgotten about the victims of crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in North Korea, and that those responsible will face justice”, said Nicole Bjerler from Amnesty’s UN office in NY.
“We don’t have any information that North Korea has developed an H-bomb”, an unnamed intelligence official told the Yonhap News Agency.
“There are a lot of issues to discuss between the South and North. (We) will do our best to resolve them one at a time, step by step”, said Hwang Boogi, South Korea’s vice minister of unification and the head negotiator for the talks, before leaving for Kaesong.
Despite global sanctions, North Korea has tested three nuclear devices in the past. ‘Their goal could be to pressure the worldwide community.
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Using satellite imagery, the IAEA observed renovation and construction activity at the main Yongbyon plant, which appears to be consistent with the country’s own statements that it is further developing its nuclear capabilities, said Yukiya Amano, director general of the IAEA.
