South Korea’s military put the force of Friday’s blast at 10 kilotonnes, but a United States expert said the highest estimates of seismic magnitude suggested a yield of 20 to 30 kilotonnes.
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The warning of additional test is based on three tunnels excavated at Punggye-ri in northeastern DPRK, near which all of its underground nuclear tests were conducted.
Despite repeated calls from the United States for China to punish North Korea for its latest nuclear test on Friday, political and military analysts said Beijing can not afford to rein in Pyongyang citing the grim alternative it would face if the North Korean regime collapses. To respond to any sudden movements, South Korean and the USA military authorities have increased surveillance assets to monitor areas near the Punggye-ri test site.
The North has yet to demonstrate that it had deployed nuclear-capable missiles, despite claims to have mastered the technology to miniaturize a nuclear warhead to mount it on ballistic missiles.
South Korea’s military said it was about 10 kilotons, enough to make it the North’s “strongest nuclear test ever”.
To review the situation and coordinate sanctions, the chief nuclear negotiators of South Korea and the United States plan to hold talks in Seoul. But they center on a technological mystery that has long bedeviled outside experts: How far has North Korea gotten in efforts to consistently shrink down nuclear warheads so they can fit on long-range missiles?
The US has been left scrambling to cope with the North’s surprising – and worrying – leaps forward in nuclear technology.
But there are growing voices calling for the South to have its own nuclear weapons, despite government opposition. The United States, the United Kingdom and France are reportedly leading the push for new sanctions.
“As we’ve made clear, measures to strengthen the national nuclear power in quality and quantity will continue to protect our dignity and right to live from augmented threats of nuclear war from the United States”, KCNA added.
News of South Korea’s attack plan for the North is believed to have been revealed to parliament following Friday’s nuclear test.
Sung Kim, US special representative for North Korea policy, arrived here late Monday for a two-day stay after visiting Japan last weekend.
President Barack Obama issued a statement promising “additional significant steps”, including further sanctions, against the rogue state.
According to South Korean defence ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyn, the North is poised to conduct its sixth nuclear test imminently. That marked a change after many years when North Korea did not send its foreign minister to the NY gathering.
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The nuclear test has been denounced by the United Nations Security Council, which is being pushed by the U.S., the U.K., and France to impose fresh sanctions on the hermit kingdom.
