Seoul has denounced the alleged hydrogen bomb test as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, claiming that it will seek to cooperate with regional partners and make North Korea pay a price for its provocation.
President Park Geun-hye chaired an emergency National Security Council session. In remarks published on her website the president said the country will take decisive measures against any additional provocations by North Korea and work with the international community to make sure Pyongyang pays the price for its latest test.
The Bank of Korea has convened an emergency meeting of its monetary policy board.
In a “special and important” announcement at noon, North Korean TV claimed that the country had successfully detonated a miniature hydrogen bomb, marking the country’s fourth known nuclear test. The announcement followed the detection of an “artificial seismic event” in the vicinity of a known Pyongyang nuclear site.
Mastering a hydrogen nuclear device would be a major breakthrough for North Korea. The technology allows scaling up the yield of a nuclear device with few limitations.
The claimed miniaturization of a nuclear device may mean that North Korea could soon develop a nuclear warhead for its larger ballistic missiles. Pyongyang has already claimed it can deliver nuclear strikes on the US mainland, but military experts doubt they have such a capability.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the reported nuclear test by North Korea could cause an escalation of tension in the Korean Peninsula and called for restraint. It added that analysis of data pertaining to the alleged test was still in progress.
The White House said the US will continue to « protect and defend our allies in the region, » and will« respond appropriately to any and all North Korean provocations. » It stressed that it can’t confirm that the device detonated was actually a hydrogen bomb, as claimed by Pyongyang.
China will work with the international community to further the cause of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Hua Chunying, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said during a daily briefing. She added Beijing had no advanced knowledge of the planned test and firmly opposed North Korea’s move.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the developments, making it clear that Tokyo will “absolutely” not tolerate threats against its national security and would issue a firm response to North Korea’s challenge against nuclear non-proliferation.
India voiced deep concern over the developments, saying it would negatively affect stability in the region.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said North Korea’s move is a « provocation which I condemn without reservation » and a « grave breach » of UN Security Council resolutions. The top British diplomat is currently in Beijing on a two-day trip. He noted that no confirmation of a nuclear test was immediately available.
France said the reported hydrogen bomb test was « an unacceptable violation of Security Council resolutions » and called for a « strong reaction from the international community » in a statement released by President Francois Hollande’s office.
Australia condemned the test “in the strongest possible terms,” saying the move was “provocative and dangerous,” the country’s department of foreign affairs said in a statement published on its website.
The UN Security Council is to address the possible nuclear test on Wednesday, at 4:00pm GMT, at a request from the US and Japan.