Seoul: N. Korea believed to have conducted 6th nuclear test
If the quake was indeed the result of a nuclear test, its magnitude indicates it may have been
Earlier Sunday, photos released by the North Korean government showed Kim talking with his lieutenants as he observed a silver, peanut-shaped device that was apparently the purported thermonuclear weapon destined for an ICBM. What appeared to be the nose cone of a missile could also be seen near the alleged bomb in one picture, which could not be independently verified and was taken without outside journalists present. Another photo showed a diagram on the wall behind Kim of a bomb mounted inside a cone.
State media said Kim visited the
It flew a Hwasong-12 over northern
It was not immediately known whether the nuclear device apparently set Sunday was an H-bomb.
To back up its claims to nuclear mastery, such tests are vital. The first of its two atomic tests last year involved what
It is almost impossible to independently confirm North Korean statements about its highly secret weapons program. South Korean government officials said the estimated explosive yield of last year's first test was much smaller than what even a failed hydrogen bomb detonation would produce. There was speculation that
It is clear, however, that each new missile and nuclear test gives the North invaluable information that allows big jumps in capability. A key question is how far
"Though we cannot verify the claim, (
The
A long line of
The North said in its statement Sunday that its H-bomb "is a multi-functional thermonuclear nuke with great destructive power which can be detonated even at high altitudes for super-powerful EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attack according to strategic goals."
Kim, according to the statement carried by the state-run
In what could be read as a veiled warning of more nuclear tests, Kim underlined the need for scientists to "dynamically conduct the campaign for successfully concluding the final-stage research and development for perfecting the state nuclear force" and "set forth tasks to be fulfilled in the research into nukes."
The two Koreas have shared the world's most heavily fortified border since their war in the early 1950s ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. About 28,500 American troops are deployed in
Rep. McCaul Supports Governor Abbott’s Request for Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for Texas
EDITORIAL: Have they no sense of decency?
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News