- North Korea has confirmed its test of a hydrogen bomb went 'flawlessly'
- Blast sparked a 6.3 magnitude earthquake near a test site in North Korea Sunday
- Detected in northeastern North Korea and described as a 'suspected explosion'
- Tremors caused by the nuclear test were at least ten times as powerful as the last time Pyongyang exploded an atomic bomb a year ago
- Comes hours after regime said it developed more advanced nuclear weapon
- Photos were released showing Kim Jong-un inspecting his new 'hydrogen bomb'
- The weapon is said to have 'great destructive power' and will be loaded on a new intercontinental ballistic missile
North Korea has confirmed its test of a hydrogen bomb meant for an intercontinental ballistic missile went 'flawlessly'.The country's sixth nuclear test sparked a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake.Japanese officials have confirmed the quake, which was detected in the northeast of the country where North Korea's nuclear test site Punggye-ri is located, was caused by a nuclear explosion.Japan's Ministry of Defence has dispatched three military jets to test for radiation. A US researcher told the BBC that if the earthquake was caused by a nuclear blast, it would be the largest atomic test conducted by North Korea.Dave Schmerler, of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies: 'This would be the largest nuclear test that North Korea has ever conducted. We should definitely be alarmed.' South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said in a statement South Korea's military has strengthened monitoring and readiness and is mulling a variety of possible responses that could be pushed together with its ally the U.S.
Yonhap, South Korea's official news agency, reports the quake struck in Kilju county where North Korea's nuclear test site Punggyeri is located
Overhead pictures of Punggye-ri nuclear test site from August 17, published by 38 North, revealed Kim Jong-un could order a test blast 'at any time with minimal advance warning', experts said
It says it detected a seismic wave from 12.34pm to 12.36pm Sunday around Punggye-ri. The test is a direct challenge to President Donald Trump, who hours earlier had talked by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about the 'escalating' nuclear crisis in the region.North Korea's state-run broadcaster said there will be a 'major announcement' at 3pm Pyongyang time (2.30am ET/7.30am GMT). South Korea's weather agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff said an artificial 5.7 magnitude quake occurred at 12:29 p.m. local time, in Kilju, northern Hamgyong province, the site where North Korea has conducted nuclear tests in the past. Seoul officials revised their earlier estimate of 5.6 magnitude quake. The U.S. Geological Survey called the first quake an explosion with a magnitude 6.3. The U.S. State Department had no immediate reaction. South Korea's presidential office said it will hold a National Security Council meeting chaired by President Moon Jae-in. 'It is absolutely unacceptable if North Korea did force another nuclear test, and we must protest strongly,' Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.China's earthquake administration detected a second tremor of magnitude 4.6 in North Korea minutes after the first. It described the event as a cave-in. South Korea's weather agency, however, said no second quake occurred.
Just hours earlier, the country claimed it has developed a more advanced nuclear weapon that has 'great destructive power'.Photos released on Sunday show the country's leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a hydrogen bomb that will be loaded on a new intercontinental ballistic missile.The hydrogen bomb's power is adjustable and can be detonated at high altitudes. The regime claims it can build as many of the nuclear weapons as it wishes.The recent development comes amid heightened tension following Pyongyang’s test launch of two missiles in July that potentially could hit major mainland US cities. Also at the weekend, North Korea taunted world leaders, calling them 'puppets' and bragged that an attempt to locate and destroy its missiles was a 'silly dream'. In the report about the new bomb, North Korea's Korean Central News Agency added: 'Kim Jong-un said he felt the pride at the indomitably bolstering up of [North Korea’s] nuclear forces despite a great price as he watched the Juche-oriented thermonuclear weapon with super explosive power made by our own efforts and technology.'He expressed great satisfaction over the fact that our scientists can do anything without fail if the party is determined to do.'The scientists further upgraded its technical performance at a higher ultra-modern level on the basis of precious successes made in the first H-bomb test.' There will be some skepticism about the claim from experts about Pyongyang’s assertion that it has mastered hydrogen technology. Still, North Korea is increasingly putting leaders on edge as the isolated country continues to push its limits in regards to building up weaponry and firing off missiles.
On Monday, North Korea, which sees the exercises as preparations for invasion, raised the stakes in its stand-off with the United States and its allies by firing an intermediate-range missile over Japan.Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the move an 'unprecedented' threat to his country. In a show of force with South Korea, Trump conducted bombing drills along the border on Thursday, in a clear warning to following another ballistic missile from Kim Jong-un launch earlier this week. On Thursday, Korean Central News Agency denounced the military drills in robust fashion, calling them 'the rash act of those taken aback' by the missile test, which it described as 'the first military operation in the Pacific
surce:dailymail.co.uk