International reactions to North Korea's test of a hydrogen bomb went on Sunday morning, with South Korea and France demanding a tough international response. Japan spoke of new sanctions. Russia and Sweden warned of the implications of the test for regional security. China strongly condemned the text via Twitter.
South Korea said North Korea's experience should be faced "with the strongest possible response," including the UN Security Council imposing new sanctions "to completely isolate the country."
Seoul and Washington also discussed the deployment of US strategic military assets on the Korean Peninsula after North Korea defied global warnings and conducted its strongest test of the day, South Korea's national security adviser Chung Yue-young said in a briefing.
French President Emmanuel Macaron called on the international community to respond quickly and "as firmly as possible" after the bombing of the bomb, which was considered a "violation of peace and security." The president also wants a clear and unified response from the European Union.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he directed relevant ministries to gather and analyze intelligence to be properly presented to the Japanese people and to contact the United States, South Korea and China.
"It is absolutely unacceptable for North Korea to conduct a new nuclear test, and we have to protest strongly. The National Security Council will henceforth be held to analyze intelligence."
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihidi Suga said the options for imposing sanctions on North Korea after the test included restrictions on the trade in oil products, adding that he condemned the nuclear test in the strongest terms.
In Moscow, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "this latest expression by Pyongyang for its contempt for the demands of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the norms of international law deserves the most condemnation," saying it is necessary to remain calm and refrain from any action that could lead to escalation .
The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement strongly condemning the test, calling on Pyongyang "to abide by UN Security Council resolutions and to refrain from taking measures to aggravate the situation on the Korean Peninsula and not serve the special interests of North Korea."
China's Nuclear Safety Commission has announced that it has begun urgent monitoring measures to monitor any nuclear radiation on its border with North Korea, while some reports said people in northeastern China bordering North Korea felt earthquakes in some areas.
On the other hand, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano said that the recent North Korean experience is "very regrettable," adding that "this new experiment, which followed two trials last year is the sixth since 2006 and completely disregard the repeated requests of the international community."
"The reports that North Korea is conducting a new nuclear test represent a shift to the worst and increases the vulnerability of world peace and stability," Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom wrote on Twitter. "The role of the UN Security Council is important." Sweden currently occupies a seat on the Security Council.
The remarks came hours after North Korea announced that it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb designed to be placed on an intercontinental ballistic missile, after South Korea and China detected earthquakes by 6.3 and 5.6 degrees.