It called the device the “H-bomb of justice” and said: “The U.S.is a gang of cruel robbers which has worked hard to bring even a nuclear disaster to the DPRK”, using the official acronym for North Korea.
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“Through the test conducted with indigenous wisdom, technology and efforts the DPRK fully proved that the technological specifications of the newly developed H-bomb for the goal of [the] test were accurate and scientifically verified the power of [the] smaller H-bomb”, the statement said. A hydrogen bomb is far more powerful than an atomic bomb and relies on the heat generated from nuclear fission to trigger a fusion reaction.
North Korea withdrew from the global nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty in 2003.
Australia’s foreign minister, Julie Bishop, also released a statement condemning “in the strongest possible terms the provocative and unsafe behaviour of the North Korean regime”.
“The republic’s first hydrogen bomb test has been successfully performed at 10:00 am on January 6, 2016, based on the strategic determination of the Workers’ Party”, a state television news reader announced.
Another council diplomat said the United States and Japan jointly requested the urgent council meeting.
After North Korea’s 2013 underground nuclear detonation, the US flew pairs of stealth aircraft over South Korea, including F-22 fighter jets and nuclear-capable B-2 bombers, in a show of force against the North.
The announcement followed the USGS detection of a 5.1 magnitude natural disaster in the vicinity of a known Pyongyang nuclear site.
The location on the map places the epicenter at North Korea’s Pyunggye-ri testing site in its northeastern mountains, where all of its nuclear tests have been conducted.
“The old idea that they would give everything up and join the family of nations is done”, said Lewis.
While a fourth nuclear test had been long expected, the timing of Wednesday’s explosion came as a surprise.
South Korea’s presidential office convened an emergency security meeting while Japan’s chief government spokesman said the natural disaster was likely caused by a nuclear test.
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After the North’s third atomic test, in February, 2013, Pyongyang launched a campaign of bellicose rhetoric that included threats to launch a nuclear attack on the United States and Seoul.
