China called the nuclear test irresponsible, yet urged a resumption of the six-party talks, which North Korea walked away from in 2009.
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The three leaders “agreed to work together to forge a united and strong worldwide response to North Korea’s latest reckless behavior”, the White House said.
North Korea’s state-run news agency KCNA said earlier in the day that the “historic test” had been carried out under orders of leader Kim Jong-un – who last month warned for the first time that his country was “ready to detonate a self-reliant H-bomb”.
The sanctions would be the fifth round imposed on North Korea since the country’s first nuclear test in 2006.
“The jury is still out on the veracity, or truthiness, of what North Korea is claiming at this stage”, said Juliette Kayyem, homeland security expert and host of the “Security Mom” podcast.
Hydrogen bombs are significantly more powerful than atomic bombs, which were used during World War II in attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
“Our military is at a state of full readiness, and if North Korea wages provocation, there will be firm punishment”, Cho said.
“The United States and Japan have requested emergency Security Council consultations for tomorrow morning regarding North Korea’s alleged nuclear test”, said Hagar Chemali, spokeswoman for the U.S. mission.
It may take weeks or longer to confirm or contradict the North’s claim that it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb, which would mark a major and unanticipated advance for its still-limited nuclear arsenal.
The test was in violation of previous resolutions and “a clear threat to worldwide peace and security continues to exist”, said the council, which started imposing economic and commercial sanctions on North Korea a decade ago because of its nuclear activity.
Chinese support is crucial in adopting a new resolution for sanctions as it is one of the veto-wielding five permanent members of the council.
In addition to US doubts about the test, skepticism also prevailed in Seoul on Wednesday.
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However, the toughness of the new sanctions will depend on China and their willingness to punish the North Korean regime. “Proving that the blast was a hydrogen bomb would depend on the presence of the hydrogen isotope tritium, which would set it apart from a fission atomic bomb and which in turn would require the presence of lithium”.
