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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:
And Obama is putting policies into place to cut our nuke arsenal in half. What an clueless idiot.
I'm as anti-Obama as the next guy, but exactly how many nuclear bombs does it take to blow up the world?
How many do you need? Nice thing about nukes a few hundred will be just enough to just eliminate the globe, the world. The weapon is simply a deterent not useable under any circumstances except maybe in the end of time senerio. Having a few less will not change that threat we hold over the world along with Russia and China. So you can rest secure at night in the knowlege Obama is more sane than you and you will live to see a few more sun rises.
"...So you can rest secure at night in the knowlege Obama is more sane than you and you will live to see a few more sun rises..."
By eliminating our nuclear superiority while allowing the communist to build up their arsenol, bo has brought the world closer to the brink.
Going forward North Korea is more of a problem for China, what will China do to save face as the North emboldened continues to flaunt China's will. With rising grain prices and a continued slowing global economy with rising food prices and food shortages will China find the will to continue to embase this errant child. North Korea has played this game of forcing it's will on the global community by threatening nuke war. It may have worked once and then we got burned so now once burned twice leary I imagine the global community will step back and use isolation to allow China to once and for all resolve this problem they created. As for North Korea launching a nuke strike, that is a myth, those fat cats running North Korea have everything why would they give it up to be kisppy critters.
This idea that the U.S. can decide what countries can have nuclear weapons is a joke. The knowledge of how to build nuclear weapons is out there, along with the components.
What more would washington like to take all our guns and dearm all other countries. How a few rich americans can take over the world still surprises me. One day we will have to police are own goverment.
It is not the U.S. it is the world economic community, what part of United Nations do you not understand. We are a superpower meaning we have the economic power to make owning a nuke threat a very expensive investment in a weapon that is suppose to be too awful to ever use again. It is our leadership that is needed to bring to bare the economic sanctions recommended by the global community.
You would be one of the first in line to turn your gun in too.
Those components are actually really hard to build. And while the basic construction is easy enough to find, the technology to make a reliable weapon small enough to deliver by anything less than a full-size bomber is actually pretty hard to get right.
Nukes are not as simple as you seem to think. And while we cannot definitively decide what countries have nuclear weapons - until the point that we're willing to give them to offending countries warhead-first - we can make the cost so severe that it's infeasible. Isitreal is quite right.
Looks to me like someone is finally telling the US and obama they are not God. Who made these pigs in washington rulers over the world. If it was up to washington the rest of the world would be off on a reservation like the American Indians. Wonder how we would like it if China,Russia,and a few other countries got together and put santions on us if we did not respond to their requests. I think he pretty much told obama to stick in his a**. RAND PAUL 2016
You can not reign over the globe without consent. It is the world powers than force us to lead not the U.S. leading the other nations. We can only wheel power at their request and with their support. Your personel security is in a large part guaranteed by our continued involvement with our other nation parteners in resolving/reducing globel threats. Rand Paul is simply using the least informed for his own political expediency. It sounds great but it ain't real.
If China, Russia, and a few other countries got together and put sanctions on the United States they would all suffer just as much as us. Trade works both ways. It's easy to put sanctions on tiny nations that hardly have an economy, like Cuba or North Korea, but sanctions on the US would be devastating to everyone involved.
I'm pretty sure Mr. Paul realizes that. Why don't you?
Of all the nuclear-armed nations, US is the one most likely to use them, as evidenced by Nagasaki and Hiroshima and the threat to use them against China during the Korean war.
Nk's possession is merely for self-preservation.
With Japan it was a leaning curve, Japan being the best and the brightest student earned the right to be first to enjoy the benefits of the nuclear age. I just hope the world was taking notes and will not make the same mistake.
Tell me, Henrich, how do you judge the likelihood of a nation to use a weapon that it's never possessed?
That's like saying that someone who has never owned a gun before would be a safe handler, based solely on the fact that they have never committed a gun crime.
You clearly think that North Korea's opposition to the United States entitles them to an apologist defense of everything they do. You are wrong.
According to South Korean news agency -North Korea told China and US in advance it would be conducting its 3rd nuclear test (http://en.rian.ru/world/20130212/179425475/Global-Community-Condemns-North-Korea-Nuclear-Test.html)- whereas China's Global Times only notes DPRK successfully conducts nuclear test-KCNA (http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/761282.shtml) According to Seismographic stations from Finland- the nuclear test occurred 11:57 am locla North Korean time- with magnitude 4.9- in 1 km depth (equivalent to 5-6 kilotons blast) whereas Hiroshima's a-bomb was 20 kilotons. The most comprehensive site to see video of the blast et al is http://www.ynetnews.com/article0,7340,L-4343924,00.html. Remember the YouTube video where North Korea incinerates a large US city?- there were ample warnings- even notifications of the test.
So, we do another knee jerk. NK is laughing at us. So is China and Russia. They are all enjoying this, and we're silly enough to think Russia and China will be on our side of the table. It really is rather hillarious.
obama you just might want to pass them washington payrolls to the military and there families. My children will not fight no more wars for you. Have you convinced your kids to join the military. Just how many of you up there in washington have children in the military? I say obama puts a hoodie on and goes on over there to fight his own wars.
A Greater Threat to the US National Security is the Pathetic Hussein o. He is as clueless as a Wart Hog as to the desired intentions of the US Enemies. As he prepares to gut Defense Spednign in favor of more Food Stamps. Put this POS out to the Curb already. And may his Days be Greatly Shortened.
The US should very politely tell the Chinese, "Until you completely eliminate N Korea's nuke program we will not allow 1 PENNY of any product produced in your country to enter the US. See how quick their attitude changes then. The Chinese should be held responsible for N Korea's actions since THEY were the ones who protected them all in the name of their F'd up Commie ideals, NOW they want to get into the free markets by flooding it with their cheap labor produced crap. How long will we take their $hit?
Wake up America!
China said last week that NK would "pay a heavy price" if they went ahead and conducted this test! Let's what they do at this morning's UN Security Council meeting! It will say a lot about China because NK is just about sanctioned out!
Cut out the Obama bashing! This has nothing to do with US action or inaction.
Lets cut to the chase on the diplomatic sie - North Korea says "no", "come get them". I am sick of all this talk like they are even remotely open to discussion - this time not even China will help them.
I doubt the idiot Kim Jong Phat-azz is insane enough to light one off anywhere in the world, because he knows at that very moment the existence of North Korea will come to an abrupt end. Sooner or later, one of their tests will probably go awry, and contaminate the surrounding landscape for millennia. Then letting them all starve to death will be the only realistic option.
And then the US will send North Korea lots of money to pay for the cleanup...like the saps we have become.
Perhaps we could put on a show of force by testing one of our nukes...in North Korea of course.
LOL
OBAMA HAS ISSUED A STATEMENT:
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....hey 'Chell, have you seen my golf clubs?"
Iran will step up it's nonsense now no doubt. People must realize by now surely that North Korea and Iran are attached like two dogs fornicating. We'll do nothing. Gee, i'm feeling all 'vigilant.' I suppose that's our answer.
If Israel can't have nuclear weapons niether can North Korea, case closed.
Did you stop and think about your statement before you slammed your case book on your fingers? Isreal is one of the countries that have nukes. Perhaps you meant IRAN?
Israel and NK have nuclear weapons.
Don't worry North Korea, with the Pu$$y a$$ US prez, you won't ever have to worry about REAL repercussions
How many Americans have died of cancer since the USA conducted so many hundreds of above ground nuclear tests in the forties and fifties? And always assuring its citizens and the world that there were no permanent after effects from such tests. Then building over 30,000 nuclear weapons. I don't think the US has any moral ground to stand on.
Obama has recently proposed to cut that number of nukes down to 1,500 total.
And somehow your assumption that lots of people have died as a result of nuclear testing reduces our legitimacy in the field of nuclear weapons or our diplomatic clout? How?
Are you going to tell that to the South Koreans and Japanese concerned about their cities being nuked? "Well, you know, a lot of Americans have probably died from nuclear tests and then they lied about it!"
Yeah but Mr. Obama has enough going on with gun rights, gay rights, and illegal immigrants to worry about North Korea's nuclear ambitions or Irans or the national debt or the stagnant economy or the unemployment rate of 8% or ....
Anyone miss Bush yet ?
Nobody does.
b o sure proved those people that thought nobody could be a worse president than bush wrong real quick.
We should tell Russia and China that if they do not collectively abate all of North Korea's nuclear capabilities and supplies and materials, that we will arm south Korea and Japan with nuclear weapons like we did with Israel. The defense contractors here are getting a woody.
Mutual Nuclear Deterrence -MND- is also known as Civil Deterrence, Civilized Deterrence, Civilizing Deterrence.
MND makes both venues unsafe for war.
A few Nukes can deter many nukes.
MND leads to fewer Nukes in the world, voluntary arms reductions, voluntary disarmament, smaller militaries, less war spending..
The right of a Nation State to have defensive deterrent weapons must be recognized, respected, and preserved.
MND is not good for nations, that are bent on being the world's dominant military force.
MND is bad for war profiteers.
No nation wants or needs nuclear weapons except to deter belligerent sociopathic governments from attacking.
MND is not MAD
MND is good and the truth.
MAD is bad and a lie.
A few nukes can deter the entire US military.
What Nation dares risk a high speed nuclear weapon coming at one of their cities.
What nation dares cause a nuclear weapon to denote in the biosphere?
A nuclear detonation in the biosphere is an attack on all humanity, all life, and on the human genome..
Any government that does anything to cause a nuclear detonation in the biosphere is an enemy of the biosphere, and an enemy of the human genome.
Mutual Nuclear Deterrence, Civil Deterrence, works and works well.
Civil Deterrence has powerful enemies with ulterior motive$.
That theory works on paper, but unfortunately thereare some people in the world that do not think and process information like the rest of us. The people that would fly and airliner into the side of a building do not really care about MAD or MND. The North Koreans are not as crazy as they are made out to be, so I think that them shooting a nuke at Israel is probably not the problem. Them handing one off and trying to have it smuggled onto/near a U.S. base/ship with deniable is.
Do we create this idiots with our policy??? And when they say they want us to "recognize" their government, does the mean that we start sending them money like we do every other country in the world? I mean, lets face it, most of our allies, are our allies only because the check comes every month.
"The North Korean government will under no circumstances surrender their nuclear program. First, they need nuclear weapons as a deterrent – and who can blame them for not wanting to follow the sorry fate of Saddam [Hussein] and Colonel [Moammar] Gadhafi?"
Don't think this is a big deal. NK would not dare to use one as they would be eliminated. Interesting to see what China does and when will Japan step up! Japan should be expected to bear the brunt of the defense over there..not us. The Soviet Union should just stay quiet!
Expect to see McCain and Graham stumping to stop Defense Cuts. OK so pass more revenue
Super X: You are absolutely right on Japan taking a bigger role in their own defense. We have been treating Japan like a spoiled child for the last sixty years keeping them from having to protect themselves. They have become a wealthy country because of this and refuse to build up their forces, leaving us to do the fighting if it comes to that.They have become a nation of Pacifists. We should cut the Apron strings and tell them to start looking out for themselves, because we are going broke doing it for them.