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Subscribe to RSSAfter Tuesday's nuclear test, questions arose as to whether or not North Korea has advanced to the point where they could reach the continental U.S. with a missile.
An unapologetic North Korea declared Tuesday that it had conducted a test of a nuclear bomb after the detonation was detected by the U.S. Geological Survey.
"On February 12th... we successfully conducted a third underground nuclear test in the northern underground nuclear test site," the Daily NK reported, in a translation of Pyongyang's announcement on the state-run news agency, KCNA.
By conducting the test, the isolated authoritarian regime made good on a Jan. 24 pledge by North Korea's top military organ, the National Defense Commission, in further defiance of admonitions from the international community to cease and desist in its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
The test was met with condemnation from around the globe. The White House called it a "highly provocative act" that warrants "further swift and credible action from the international community." Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Beijing was "strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed" to the move by its neighbor and long-time Communist ally.
South Korea and Japan convened emergency meetings of their top national security officials, while the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting Tuesday, after which it promised to "begin work immediately" to draft a new resolution against the North.
The explosion was registered as a 5.1-magnitude seismic event by the USGS at 9:57 p.m. ET Monday. The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence quickly judged that North Korea had "probably conducted an underground nuclear explosion" with a yield of "several kilotons."
In a statement, President Barack Obama said the test "undermines regional stability, violates North Korea's obligations under numerous United Nations Security Council resolutions, contravenes its [international] commitments … and increases the risk of proliferation" in the wake of what he described as a "ballistic missile launch" by North Korea on Dec. 12.
"North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs constitute a threat to U.S. national security and to international peace and security," Obama said.
U.S. officials have previously told NBC News that North Korea has up to a "few dozen" nuclear weapons that could be fitted on ballistic missiles, far more than had previously been believed.
Obama on Tuesday said that "the danger posed by North Korea's threatening activities warrants further swift and credible action by the international community," adding that the U.S. would work with the international community to "pursue firm action."
'Vile hostile acts'
In a tit-for-tat that has characterized a diplomatic stalemate for decades, North Korea blamed the United States for forcing its hand.
"This nuclear test was conducted as part of measures to safeguard the country’s security and independence in order to deal with the vile hostile acts of the United States, which violated our Republic’s legitimate right to peaceful satellite launches,” according to the KCNA report.
The comment refers UN Security Council Resolution 2087, passed after to Pyongyang's Dec. 12 rocket launch, heaping sanctions on previous sanctions against North Korea, further deepening the regime's isolation.
North Korean soldiers stand guard on the river bank of the North Korean town of Sinuiju, opposite the Chinese border city of Dandong on Tuesday.
The resolution called on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program and any weapons and allow verification; to conduct no more launches using ballistic missile technology; and to conduct no more nuclear tests.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the latest test was a "clear and grave violation."
Later, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea threatened, citing an unidentified foreign ministry spokesman, to conduct more nuclear tests if the U.S. moves to penalize it for Tuesday's test.
At a disarmament forum in Geneva on Tuesday, a North Korean official said that his country would not change course in the current climate, Reuters reported.
"The U.S. and their followers are sadly mistaken if they miscalculate the DPRK would respect the entirely unreasonable resolutions against it. The DPRK will never bow to any resolutions," Jon Yong Ryong, first secretary of North Korea's mission in Geneva, told the Conference on Disarmament, referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
South Korea's government said in a statement that Tuesday's nuclear test, "poses a direct challenge to the whole international community as well as an unacceptable threat to the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia."
It said the government would stand firm in that it "will not tolerate a nuclear North Korea" and added that it will "also accelerate expanding its military capability, including deploying at an early stage its extended-range missiles, currently being developed, which cover all of North Korea."
Major hostilities in the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with armistice, not a peace treaty. Today, North Korean forces and South Korean forces bolstered by about 28,000 U.S. troops remain faced off at the 38th parallel, where the Korean Peninsula was divided.
Between 2003 and 2007, North Korean took party in several rounds of the so-called "Six Party Talks" with South Korea, China, the United States, Russia and Japan, in an attempt to reverse Pyongyang's nuclear weapons development in return for fuel and progress towards normalization of relations. The talks went on hold and then fell apart for good in April 2009 and Pyongyang expelled UN inspectors from the country.
China 'humiliated'
A key unanswered question is what Beijing will do after North Korea's latest move. The long-time Communist ally and neighbor, which has strategic reasons to continue supporting the regime in Pyongyang, nonetheless expressed its strong opposition to the test.
"China has been humiliated," according to Andrei Lankov, a veteran analyst of North Korea based in Seoul's Kookmin Unversity. That could prompt a change in Beijing's approach, he said.
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A North Korean flag flies above the North Korean embassy in Beijing on Feb. 12.
"This time, China explicitly warned North Korea against conducting the test, but they were ignored," Landov added. "A Chinese government newspaper said two weeks ago that in the case of a nuclear test, China might significantly reduce its aid to North Korea."
China is a major source of aid to North Korea and key to keeping its decrepit economy afloat. China is also one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council with the power to veto sanctions.
The United States and other countries have urged China to put pressure on Pyongyang, but it remained to be seen how far Beijing would go to confront its old comrade.
"They are not happy about nuclear adventurism. At the same time though, a collapsing non-nuclear North Korea is far worse than a nuclear but stable North Korea," Lankov said.
North wants U.S. recognition
Professor Yan Xuetong, a top international security analyst at China's Tsinghua University, said "the key to the North Korean nuclear challenge is in the hands of the United States, not China."
"China is certainly opposed to North Korea's latest nuclear test and opposed to North Korea becoming a nuclear power, but the test was aimed at the Unite States with the aim of forcing the U.S. to normalize relations with North Korea, but if the U.S. doesn't want to play the game of trade-off, then there is not much that China can do," he said.
Yan, who closely follows government policy thinking on the issue, argued that "the role of economic sanctions is limited," suggesting China will not stop economic assistance to North Korea because of the latest test.
"What China should do is to act as bridge between North Korea and the United States so that they will agree to a trade-off, with the U.S. granting recognition to the North Korean government in exchange for it giving up its nuclear program," he said.
"If the U.S. views North Korea's nuclear threat with the same seriousness as it views Iran's nuclear threat, then there will be hope for solving the North Korea's nuclear problem," he said.
NBC News staff writers Ian Johnston, Eric Baculinao, John Newland and Arata Yamamoto contributed to this report.
Related:
Analysis: China fears alienating nuclear-armed Kim
N. Korea propaganda video shows US city in flames
Show of force: US, South Korea hold naval drills
This story was originally published on Tue Feb 12, 2013 12:11 PM EST
Leave a Comment:
'Miniaturized' is a significant term in all of this. A smaller warhead is their goal since their rocket technology is comparable to our NASA Mercury program of the early 1960's. They're really building this program. They're not messing around anymore nor should we.
They don't need a rocket. Al Qaeda will be happy to carry it wherever they want it to go.
The Iraq war and the 1% doctrine were exactly about avoiding this situation.
NK can soon hold the world hostage to make sure they're given all the food and oil they want.
And Al Qaeda can just "carry" a nuclear weapon wherever they want?
You really have no concept of how hard it is to deliver a nuclear weapon, do you?
Never mind that North Korea isn't really the sort of country to give one of their most precious and valuable creations over to a bunch of religious zealots they have no control over.
Nuclear weapons are used as deterrent in a MAD symdrone. NK's possession of such will actually enhance the peace in the Korean Peninsula. It will make US think twice before launching any attack on NK.
Stop hostility towards NK inclduing US/SK military drill at NK doorstep and lift all sanctions against them, you will get no trouble from NK. Pointing a gun at NK does not help.
North Korea doesn't deserve to survive. It is a relic of failed communism. They starve and imprison their own people and the entire country should be destroyed. You sound like a real Von Dork.
MAD only works if the participants are rational actors.
Bill,
you are no better. No country should be judged for the sins of their Government. Not every country as as free as ours and not every country's people are as willing to die to change their government. Your ideology, that x country should be destroyed for x, is just as bad as the North Korean Government's actual policy.
MAD worked between US and USSR despite the latter being characterized as being evil, irrational and repressive.
Iraq war would not happen if Suddam Hussein possessed the nuclear weapon.
Henrich, your assumption rests on the absurd belief that the problem has been the United States all along. Not surprising at all, given that every single comment you've ever posted pushes the point that the US is the enemy and its foes are merely doing what they need to do to defend themselves, but still absurd.
The policy of MAD is a moot point here; the United States has been able to nuke North Korea without fear of retribution for decades, and it has not done so or threatened to do so. The ability for NK to retaliate with similar force adds nothing to the equation but the potential for someone in North Korea to attack first with nuclear force. North Korea is prone to overreactions and unprovoked attacks, such as the sinking of the South Korean ship and the artillery attack on South Korea's base; to call such attacks "provoked" because South Korea and America troops were performing military exercises is ridiculous. How do military exercises justify the lives lost and the degradation of relations?
The ability of North Korea to attack with massive force if it so chooses is to no benefit to anybody, and lifting sanctions would be explicitly rewarding the North's militant and belligerent behavior. Especially as it still refuses to even discuss its human rights record, which is the world's worst. You're not asking us to stop pointing a gun at North Korea, you're asking us to throw the gun away and hope the psychopath in front of us is courteous enough to do the same.
Indeed most of the world's problems are a result of US trying to be world's policeman. US wanted to curtail USSR that led to the cold war, now US tries to contain China from rising as may challenge US dominant and hegemony position.
US put sanction on Cuba, Iran and NK for its own ill interest. Do you expect these countries to take it quietly? Of course they resent and will fight back.
If US abandons its bellicose posture towards NK and Iran, you won't get any trouble from them in return.
Your view appears to be skewed by your believe that US is infallible.
Why doesn't South Kkorea just nuke them back to the stoneage, who cares what China says?
considering rok does not have nukes you tell me
Because, as a rule, countries don't run around nuking other countries back to the stone age.
That's precisely the kind of record we're trying to maintain by halting NK's nuclear program.
None of seem to understand the motivations of North Korea and why these provocations continue. What they want and what they have always hoped for is direct talks with the American government leading to in their minds to recognition by the U.S. thus isolating South Korea.
Additionally its their belief that recognition will bring with economic stability and growth.
Yet, the talks between the two nations have been through the on again off again Six Party talks which include China, Japan, Russia and South Korea. After more than 10 years of negotiation these talks have achieved nothing.
It doesn't help that North Korea absolutely refuses to discuss its human rights record. It can't seriously expect to get a break until it becomes at LEAST as free as the other dictatorships in the region.
Well, at least we know the Republicans will show a unified front in support of the President as our challenges with North Korea continue.
I mean, at least we'll have a Defense Secretar-oh...oh, wait.
We hear the argument that China doesn't want the U.S on it's doorstep, however i think that once Korea, united would mean the U.S would no longer need to be there. I think that the U.N (not just America)need to go and liberate North Korea and end this regime once and for all.
How do you figure that?
South Korea would be very unlikely to handle integration with the North without assistance. That assistance would likely come from America.
More to the point, South Korea rather LIKES having an American security hedge against China. They wouldn't want our troops gone even if they had the entire peninsula.
Wait this is not important!!! We need revolution in Chicago because of gangsters using illegal firearms in a gun free zone!! This story is only leading on abc and cnn and bbc! And nbc is leading with revolution, damn was my home page. In any event this is a 10ish kiloton test where the Hiroshima bomb killed 140,000 people (estimates vary). The fact is that an Iran or DPRK equipped with a bomb does not turn out well. either now or 30 years the fact is that it will be imposing its will. The world is dealing with countries that basically are taking countries hostage with nuclear weapons. But hey cheers to them for finally putting a rocket into orbit! awesome and hey kris350 china does not want any heavily influenced us country on its doorstep. dprk and china communist, russia near communist
Bob,
you can still own guns in Chicago you just cannot buy them there.
Well, just remember the movie, "The Mouse That Roared!"
Unfortunately, these weapons will be used. Before us is the nuclear war and famine caused by drought. This follows from biblical analysis. In Revelation we read: "And another horse came forth, a red horse: and to him that sat thereon it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should slay one another: and there was given unto him a great sword [a nuclear sword]. And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, Come. And I saw, and behold, a black horse; and he that sat thereon had a balance in his hand [food will be rationed]. And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A quart [about a liter] of wheat for a denarius [a full day's wages], and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the olive oil and the wine [species resistant to drought]." (6:4-6) However now we can still sleep peacefully. Before that Russia will return. (Daniel 11:29a) This, in this context, means crisis, which will eclipse the Great Depression. Not only the eurozone will break up, but also the European Union and NATO. Then many countries of the former Eastern block will return to Russia's zone of influence. Russian troops will be stationed here again. This will be the last sign before WWIII. (Daniel 11:29b, 30a; Matthew 24:7)
"Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson
That was awesome, Grendels. High five.
Just remember, this is all saber rattling. NK will not dare pull the trigger on a gun pointed at their own heads. If they were to attack anyone in their immediate area or the USA or Russia they would have at least one of the world's super powers knocking on their door.
Same with Iran.
Their goal is to make us flinch first and attack them giving them just cause, as far as they are concerned, to retaliate or build alliances to demand reparations or fight a war against the attackers. Essentially they are trolling us and the only valid response is to ignore it.
Probably, but our interests in the region rather demand a response that will draw in valuable diplomatic and economic resources.
There is no good solution to the problem, to be sure.
They should be encouraged to do those tests all over their country. Especially along their fault lines.
South Korea could end up an Island.
Korea and Iran getting Nukes doesn't worry me. They have had access to really bad stuff, long before this, biological agents etc. They never used those either. They aren't going to commit suicide. But having a Nuke will make them feel better, and give them a better bargaining position. Its all sabre rattling and keeping up with the Jones's.
Ask me if I care. I think 30 years (if not indeed longer) of a constant state of war is about enough don't you? Need to put the military industrial complex to rest.
At the present time this nuclear warhead development program is little more than a lame effort at state sponsored terrorism, which only promises to lead to more international economic sanctions against North Korea. But it could become a very credible threat in the future, once miniaturization of warheads potentially allows for North Korean nuclear artillery (both rocket and cannon) to threaten South Korea. As a means of offsetting that terrorism potential and any growing instability which might result, I do believe that this situation represents a very ideal opportunity to introduce defensive DEW systems as a strategic counter to this growing nuclear threat on the Korean peninsula. - Rick Carter
BTW, I also believe a similar solution in regards to Israel would be very helpful in maintaining the future stability of the Middle East. - RC
failed Arab revolutionary Test in the face of successful nuclear tests in Iran and North Korea
Between religion and politics and the sword and the pen in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Syria funded by the Gulf States, Turkey and the failed U.S. administration in the face of terrorism and Islamic extremism and Communist North Korea, China, Iran and Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan
The 1950 war with North Korea never ended. There was a truce, but never a treaty. That means, we are still at war with them, after these sixty years have passed since Eisenhower took office, Stalin died, and the"Little World War III" went dormant...BUT IT NEVER ENDED. Time to bring it to a victorious conclusion. From 30,000 feet up. As MacArthur said, "There is no substitute for Victory."
They was a threat when I was a kid ! That's where the real war should of been
Barry will increase the aid, take them at their word that they'll be good, little boys and play nice. Obama and his feckless foreign policy: bet he heads to a golf course in Hawaii in the next couple of weeks so he won't have to deal with making an adult decision.
We try to invade North Korea CHINA will back them up. We need to start putting pressure on China to address the situation. Technically they are the only think keeping North Korea afloat. And while were at it we can ask the Chinese to stop constantly launching cyber attacks on our country and keeping there currency high which is leading to trade deficits. Look I totally understand they whole lets blow them up and or invade them mentality. The thing is we have been in perpetual war for over a decade. So far the only thing we have to show for it lots of dead troops, a sky high deficit and 2 VERY broken and corrupt countries.
China isn't going to "back up" North Korea in any manner except perhaps by increasing their supply shipments.
The bigger problem is that invading North Korea just isn't very feasible. The place is a death trap, populated by millions of armed and ultra-nationalistic fanatics, rough terrain, and a hyper-oppressive propoganda machine. America could win, but the cost would be traumatic.
& what does it mean for the earth??? We try soooo hard to practice good earth husbandry & what does one of these "tests" do to our ecology????
"Our" ecology? Over here in the civilized world? Nothing. A nuclear test in a fortified cave half a world away does jack squat. What do you think it would do?
And the US response is: Continue preparing for the State of the Union speech.
NK, with limp dick in hand... puffed up. I reckon without our help, SK would wipe them.
Bluffers like Iran.
Another Success story for the Apologist Foreign Diplomacy, You need to understand anything that happens in North Korea does so with the blessings of the Chinese Communists. We really need to start paying attention to the Communist Part, they may be a trading partner right now, but remember the Communist Part. They certainly haven't forgotten, their simply waiting for Comrade Barak to make his move.
OOpps...the rat's are still out of their cage. UN resolutions are like telling a naughty boy to got to his room until he can behave, thinking that it will teach him a lesson.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon needs to step and invite little dear leader for a beer with BO.
Nothing will happen because the UN doesn't have the balls to do what needs to be done.