The latest tensions in the region follow North Korea’s allegedly successful underground test of a hydrogen bomb.
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No countries were given advance warning of a nuclear test, South Korea’s intelligence service said, according to lawmakers briefed by intelligence officials. Seoul’s agency says the 4.8-magnitude quake was likely caused by a manmade explosion. Since 1998, North Korea has carried out at least five tests of long-range rockets…its most recent focused on a launch from a submarine.
‘China had a particular approach that it wanted to make, that we agreed and respected to give them space to implement that, ‘ Kerry told reporters on Thursday.
Fallon and Hammond are in Japan for talks later Friday with their Japanese counterparts and are also expected to meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But since the announcement, top US officials have been skeptical of whether the bomb the rogue nation detonated was actually a hydrogen bomb and not another nuclear bomb, The New York Times reported.
The resolution suggested that as a nonpermanent member of the U.N. Security Council, Japan should lead debate at the world body so that the council can adopt a new sanctions resolution on North Korea. Separate statements from the White House said Obama and the two Asian leaders also agreed to countries “agreed to work together to forge a united and strong worldwide response to North Korea’s latest reckless behavior”.
The main newspaper in North Korea, the Workers’ Daily, hailed the country’s nuclear test as a success, and all the other state-controlled media left no doubt about the official report of the hydrogen bomb detonation.
In retaliation, Seoul is set to resume loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts along the border with Pyongyang today, a move certain to annoy Mr Kim.
The House measure would target banks facilitating North Korea’s nuclear program and authorise freezing of United States assets of those directly linked to illicit North Korean activities.
Sen. Bob Corker, Tennessee Republican and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Wednesday that if North Korea’s claim is found to be legitimate, it would serve “as a sober reminder that ignoring this threat and hoping it will go away does not constitute a policy”.
Underlying everything is Beijing’s desire to keep North Korea as a buffer between it and the prospect of United States troops stationed on its border in a unified Korea.
– South Korea proceeds with plans to restart anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts across the border on Friday, believed to be the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
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Seoul said the test was a “grave violation” of an August agreement that ended earlier loudspeaker broadcasts.
