North Korea government Authority says that
they have successfully conducted their fifth and largest nuclear test to date
in defiance of U.N. resolutions, drawing outrage from several countries.
The United States, Japan, South Korea, China and more
countries have condemned their latest act of defiance by testing the nuclear
warhead, saying that the test was in direct violation of the UN Security
Council resolution. China’s foreign ministry urged North Korea to stop taking
part in aggressive testing.
The resolution was created to ban
North Korea from testing any nuclear warheads or missile technology.
According to some estimates, the
warhead that was tested was more powerful than the bomb that was dropped on
Hiroshima, Japan during World War II. A 5.3 tremor was registered near the
nuclear test site around 9 am local time near Punggye-ri, Kilju County. South
Korea estimated the warhead to have an explosive yield of about ten kilotons,
which would make it their most powerful nuclear warhead test to date. Some
other experts say the test could have had an even higher yield, closer to 20
kilotons.
In comparison, the nuclear bomb
that was dropped on Hiroshima was 15 kilotons.
According to North Korea’s
official KCNA news agency, the nuclear warhead can be mounted on a
medium-range ballistic missile.
The testing was conducted on North
Korea’s National Day, which celebrates the founding of their current regime.
South Korean President Park
Geun-hye called the test an act of “self destruction” proving the “maniacal
recklessness” of their supreme leader, Kim Jong Un.
“The only thing that Kim Jong Un
regime can gain from the nuclear tests is stronger sanctions from the
international community and its isolation. Such provocation will eventually
hasten its path to self-destruction,” Park Geun-hye said in a statement.
The President was notified of the
test while on Air Force one while on his return trip back from Asia. On the
phone, he spoke with Park and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
“We must lodge a strong protest,”
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters on Friday. “North
Korea’s nuclear development is becoming a graver threat to Japan’s safety and
severely undermines the peace and safety of the region and the international
community.”
North Korea’s most recent nuclear
test was conducted back in January. North Korea has been hit with five
sanctions since their first nuclear test back in 2006.
Over the past several months, North
Korea conducted multiple ballistic missile launches and one of their largest
aims is to be able to mount nuclear warheads on these kinds of missiles. In the
past, North Korea has stated that they have the goal of striking enemy targets
with these missiles.
“The standardization of the nuclear
warhead will enable the DPRK to produce at will and as many as it wants a
variety of smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear warheads of higher strike
power,” KCNA news agency said.
North Korea became angered after
the United States and South Korea created a plan to introduce THAAD, which is
an anti-missile defense system, to South Korea. North Korea also considers the
allies’ annual joint military exercises that are taking place to be a threat
towards the country.
The U.N. Security Council is set to
have a meeting behind closed doors on Friday to discuss the test.

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