North Korea’s pursuit of missiles and nuclear weapons is one of the most intractable foreign policy problems for the United States and South Korea.
Advertisement
The South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, denounced the test as a clear violation of security council resolutions banning the North from developing nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.
South Korea’s Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang Gyun refused to say what evidence pointed to another possible North Korea test, but he told reporters that South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials believe North Korea has the ability to detonate another atomic device any time.
The first indications of an underground explosion came when seismic monitors detected a 5.3-magnitude “artificial earthquake” near the Punggye-ri nuclear site.
North Korea on Friday set off its fifth, and largest, nuclear test, saying it had mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile and vowing to continue strengthening its nuclear power.
North Korea says its tests are meant to build a nuclear deterrent to defend the country against the United States.
Kim met with Japanese officials on Sunday and said the United States may launch unilateral sanctions against North Korea, echoing comments by U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday in the wake of the test.
China has said it “firmly opposes” the test, but analysts believe Beijing wants to avoid a collapse of North Korea in order to prevent the balance of power on the Korean peninsula from leaning towards the US.
The worldwide community is said to be considering its response, with the USA saying it is considering imposing sanctions alongside those imposed by the UN Security Council, Japan and South Korea.
South Korea has asked its people to take extra caution in traveling to the region near the China-North Korea border, citing possible terror and abduction attempts by the North amid heightened tension after its latest nuclear test.
The Defense Ministry refers to the plan as the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) plan, and described it as reducing the entire city of Pyongyang, including every single district, to ashes, and removing the city from the map outright through military force.
Global leaders were united in their condemnation of the provocative move, with the United Nations Security council calling an immediate emergency meeting to discuss a coherent worldwide response.
“North Korea has a tunnel where it can conduct an additional nuclear test”, Moon said.
South Korea also emphasised the need for fresh countermeasures including a new United Nations security council resolution, the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement.
And South Korea’s United States envoy Sung Kim said his country would consider both bilateral and trilateral sanctions.
Both countries did join sanctions in March, following the North’s January nuclear test.
Advertisement
Moon, however, said that the country’s military is on full combat-readiness to respond to “further nuclear tests, ballistic missile launches or land provocation” by the North.
