North Korea claims nuclear test

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Canuckus Maximus
POSTED: 11:40 p.m. EDT, October 8, 2006

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN)-- North Korea on Monday claimed it has performed a successful nuclear test, according to that country's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
South Korean government officials also said North Korea performed its first nuclear test, the South's Yonhap news agency reported.
The apparent nuclear test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. (0136 GMT) in Hwaderi near Kilju city, Yonhap reported, citing defense officials.
A senior Pentagon official told CNN late Sunday that he was not aware of any evidence to confirm that North Korea had conducted a successful nuclear test, and suggested that any confirmation would come from the White House.
Additionally, the U.S. Geological Survey's Rafael Abreau said the earthquake-measuring agency has not recorded any seismic activity from North Korea.
However, South Korean intelligence officials said a seismic wave of magnitude-3.58 had been detected in North Hamkyung province, according to Yonhap.
High-level South Korean officials were meeting Monday after intelligence of the suspected test was received.
"President Roh Moo-hyun called in an emergency meeting of related ministers on Monday to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue," said Yonhap, quoting Foreign Ministry spokesman Choo Kyu-ho.
"The meeting comes as there has been a grave change in the situation involving the North's nuclear activity."
According to KCNA, there was no radioactive leakage from the site.
On Friday, the U.N. Security Council warned North Korea against performing a nuclear test, citing unspecified action if it should do so.
It also called on North Korea to return immediately to the six-party talks with China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
Citing American belligerence and pressure, North Korea said Tuesday that a nuclear test was in the works. A date and time for the test was not given.
The report of the test came as Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Seoul for meetings with President Roh Moo-hyun to address the nuclear issue as well as address strains in relations between the two countries over territorial and historical disputes.
North Korea accused rival South Korea on Monday of committing a serious provocation by firing warning shots during a weekend incident in which the South says soldiers from the communist North crossed over their border.
The border shooting came Saturday. South Korean soldiers rattled off about 40 warning shots after a group of five North Korean troops crossed into the southern side of the no-man's-land separating the divided Korean peninsula, South Korea said.
No one was hurt in the incident.
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The following is the full text of the announcement carried on North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency as reported on the Reuters news agency: "The field of scientific research in the DPRK (North Korea) successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions on October 9, Juche 95 (2006) at a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great, prosperous, powerful socialist nation.
"It has been confirmed that there was no such danger as radioactive emission in the course of the nuclear test as it was carried out under a scientific consideration and careful calculation.
"The nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology 100%. It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the KPA (Korean People's Army) and people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defence capability.
"It will contribute to defending the peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the area around it."
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6032597.stm

:cens::cens: and :cens:
 
Bush: N. Korea nuke test claim a threat to peace

POSTED: 10:43 a.m. EDT, October 9, 2006



WASHINGTON (CNN)-- President Bush on Monday said North Korea's claim that it has tested a nuclear weapon is a threat to international peace and said the world "will respond."
"The transfer of nuclear weapons to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States," Bush said. "And we would hold North Korea fully accountable to the consequences of such action."
Bush said the U.S. was still trying to confirm whether North Korea had actually tested a nuclear weapon as it claimed earlier Monday.
He said he'd spoken with the leaders of South Korea, Russia, China and Japan.
"All of us agreed that the proclaimed actions taken by North Korea are unacceptable and deserve an immediate response by the United Nations Security Council," Bush said. (Transcript)
China, a close ally of North Korea, denounced the claimed test as "brazen," and South Korea said it would respond "sternly" to a move that experts said raised fears of nuclear terrorism and a regional arms race.
North Korea's ambassador to the U.N. Pak Kil-yon said the council should "congratulate" North Korea's scientists and researchers "instead of [issuing] such notorious, useless and reckless resolutions or whatever the statement against" North Korea.
Pak said the test was "very, very successful" and will contribute "to the maintenance and guarantee of peace and security in the peninsula and the region."
When asked if North Korea plans to conduct further tests, Pak told reporters "that will be enough, you don't think so?"
Bush said North Korea "remains one of the world's leading proliferators of missile technology, including transfers to Iran and Syria."
When North Korea warned last week that it intended to conduct a nuclear test, international analysts said it could unleash a regional arms race and give a virtual green light to Iran, which the United States suspects wants to develop nuclear weapons. Experts also fear North Korea may allow terrorists such as al Qaeda access to its nuclear weapons technology.
"This immediately affects the calculations of South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, all of whom might decide that they need to have their own independent nuclear arsenal as well," said international security analyst Joseph Cirincione of the Center for American Progress. "If North Korea gets away with this, Iran will be encouraged to go forward."
If confirmed, the test would be the first of its kind since Pakistan detonated an underground nuclear weapon in May of 1998, said Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists in Washington. North Korea would be the eighth nation to successfully conduct such a test, he said.
North Korea has recently test fired seven missiles, including a long-range ballistic missile in July, but it's unknown whether Pyongyang possesses the high-technology expertise to construct a nuclear weapon small enough for a missile delivery system.
On Wednesday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said, "North Korea can have a future or it can have these weapons. It cannot have both."
Immediately following North Korea's announcement Monday, South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun said Pyongyang has "broke the trust of the international community." (Watch South Korea's Cabinet meet about what to do next -- 7:00)
Roh said it brought "a severe situation that threatens stability on the Korean Peninsula and in northeast Asia."
Abe told the same news conference his country would work "to make ways to implement action for a tough resolution."
Australian Prime Minister John Howard suggested financial, trade and travel sanctions, saying a "strong international response is called for."
CNN's Dan Rivers, speaking from the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, said the key question now was what China -- which effectively allowed North Korea to exist economically -- would do. (Watch a quick timeline of how the situation reached this point -- 2:09)
The apparent nuclear test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. (1:36 a.m. GMT) in Hwaderi near Kilju city, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing defense officials.
South Korea's state geology research center detected a 3.58-magnitude "artificial earthquake" in a remote area of North Korea's North Hamgyeong Province, according to the news agency. Judging from the seismic tremor, the center said the power of the explosion was equivalent to around a half kiloton of TNT explosives, Yonhap reported.
Reports of the claimed test triggered global condemnation (Full story).
South Korea's Defense Ministry raised the military alert level. (Watch how the world changes after a North Korean nuclear test -- 2:09)
"The field of scientific research in the DPRK (North Korea's official name) successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions on October 9. ... at a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation," said North Korea's state news agency, Korean Central News Agency.
CNN's Matthew Chance said that Moscow said Russian equipment in the area had confirmed an underground test.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said that the force of the blast was five to 15 kilotons.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said a "North Korean nuclear test would constitute a provocative act in defiance of the will of the international community and of our call to refrain from actions that would aggravate tensions in northeast Asia." (Watch initial Pentagon reaction -- 3:22)
A U.S. military official told CNN that "something clearly has happened," but the Pentagon was working to fully confirm the report.
The U.S. Geological Survey Web site recorded a light 4.2-magnitude earthquake in North Korea at 10:35 a.m., about 385 kilometers (240 miles) northeast of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
"The nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology 100 percent. It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the KPA (Korean People's Army) and people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defense capability," KCNA reported.
"It will contribute to defending the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the area around it."
http://www.military-quotes.com/forum/http://www.military-quotes.com/forum/<H3>China's reaction</H3>China on Monday demanded Pyongyang stop any action that would worsen the situation, Reuters news service reports.
"The DPRK has ignored the widespread opposition of the international community and conducted a nuclear test brazenly on October 9," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its Web site.
"The Chinese government is firmly opposed to this," the statement said.
In Tokyo, the prime minister's office said Japan had established a task force to address the situation. Chief government spokesman Yasuhisa Shiozaki said if a nuclear test was confirmed, Japan would "strongly protest" it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the claimed test, Russian news agencies reported, as Russia demanded North Korea rein in its nuclear program.
On Friday, the Security Council warned North Korea against performing a nuclear test, citing unspecified action if it should do so.
http://www.military-quotes.com/forum/http://www.military-quotes.com/forum/<H3>South Korean tapped for top U.N. role</H3>The Security Council also has called on North Korea to return immediately to six-party talks with China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
The United States and its allies have been urging North Korea to rejoin the talks aimed at persuading the reclusive Communist nation to abandon its nuclear arms program.
South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon was formally nominated by the U.N. Security Council on Monday to be the next U.N. secretary-general.
The nomination will go to the 192-member General Assembly the coming week for expected approval. The new secretary-general's term is to begin January 2007.

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