The first indications of an underground explosion came when seismic monitors detected a 5.3-magnitude “artificial earthquake” near the Punggye-ri nuclear site.
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Video: Can North Korea Drop A Nuke On America?
United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said reducing tensions on the Korean peninsula is one of the most serious issues facing the world because the impact of North Korea’s use of nuclear weapons would be far greater than the casualties in Syria and other conflicts.
The South has no atomic weapons of its own and shelters under the nuclear “umbrella” of its USA ally, which stations 28,500 troops in South Korea. “We will do everything possible to defend against that growing threat”, he said. The United States, Britain and France pushed for the 15-member body to impose new sanctions.
World leaders and ministries including U.S. president Barack Obama and China’s foreign ministry have condemned the test.
Since Friday’s nuclear test South Korea has spoken publicly of its military capabilities and said it is prepared for a retaliation if it is attacked by the North.
Afterwards Pyongyang state media boldly admitted a nuclear test had taken place, brazenly noting the country is now able to mount a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile.
“We will continue to strengthen our nuclear power in quality and quantity to protect our dignity and the right to live as well as to ensure genuine peace from the increasing threat of a nuclear war by the United States”.
The US has been left scrambling to cope with the North’s surprising – and worrying – leaps forward in nuclear technology.
Secretary of State John Kerry said the USA would work with other Security Council members to take “robust steps” in response, and he urged North Korea to resume denuclearization talks it abandoned in 2009.
The sources said the North may use a previously unused tunnel at its mountainous test site, according to Reuters.
The UN Security Council agreed Friday to start work on new measures – even though five sets of UN sanctions since the first nuclear test in 2006 have failed to halt the North’s nuclear drive.
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The commentary took issue with her recent condemnation, during talks with US President Barack Obama+, of the North’s ballistic missile test-launches.
