The United States may take unilateral action against North Korea, a USA special envoy for the isolated state said on Sunday, two days after it carried out its fifth and biggest nuclear test, in defiance of U.N. sanctions.
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The North’s latest nuclear test was the most powerful to date and its claim to have used “standardized” warheads sparked worries it was making headway in its push to develop small and sophisticated warheads to be topped on missiles.
“South Korean and US intelligence authorities’ assessment is North Korea is prepared to carry out an additional nuclear test at Punggye-ri”, Moon Sang Gyun told reporters.
The UN Security Council denounced North Korea’s decision to carry out the test and said it would work immediately on a resolution.
On Monday Yonhap, citing South Korean government sources, reported that Pyongyang has completed preparations for another nuclear test.
The seismic activity, with a magnitude of 5.3, was detected near Punggye-ri, Kilju County, which is the same location as four other tests, the most recent of which was in January.
The relationship between North and South Korea is unsurprisingly tense, and this latest report indicates the South is fed up.
A US special envoy for the isolated state, Sung Kim, will travel to Seoul on Monday.
FOLLOWING its fifth and biggest nuclear test on Friday, North Korea has mocked a threat from the United States to launch unilateral sanctions against them as “laughable” and “meaningless”.
“As we’ve made clear, 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 from the United States”.
Meanwhile, in a show of strength against North Korea, the United States will fly a U.S. military B-1B bomber flight over South Korea on Tuesday.
“Due to inclement weather conditions, the engagement at Osan Air Base scheduled for today has been postponed”, Yonhap quoted USFK spokesman Christopher Bush saying in a statement. As Seoul does not have its own nuclear arsenal, it relies heavily on its Hyunmoo missile arsenal, according to Yonhap’s source. He was appointed at a major ruling party congress held in May.
On Saturday, South Korea foreign minister Yun Byung-se said the North’s nuclear capability appeared to be developing fast.
All of Pyongyang’s nuclear device tests happened in Punggye-ri.
The US has been left scrambling to cope with the North’s surprising – and worrying – leaps forward in nuclear technology.
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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. “We will do everything possible to defend against that growing threat”, he said.
