N.Korea to conduct underground nuclear test – security reports

Published time: April 08, 2012 20:15
Edited time: April 09, 2012 11:00
Anti-North Korea protesters chant slogans and hold signs denouncing North Korea's nuclear test, in Seoul May 25, 2009. (Reuters / Lee Jae Won)

It has already alarmed the world with its imminent rocket launch. But now it also appears that North Korea is on the verge of executing another underground nuclear test.

South Korean news agency Yonhap has reported leaked information from an anonymous domestic security source that claims the test will occur at the same site in Kilju, next to the Chinese border, as two previous detonations in 2006 and 2009.

The information appears to be based on high-resolution satellite photos that show a build-up of earth near the entrance to a tunnel at the site. A tunnel has to be dug up for any test to be conducted.

“We have confirmed the mining work is coming to its final stage,” the source was quoted as saying.

North Korea’s previous nuclear experiments led to a slew of international sanctions against it, and with tensions already running high, the response is likely to be no different this time.

Any test would be in contravention of a much-trumpeted agreement in February when the isolated regime agreed to halt its nuclear program in exchange for food aid.

But the agreement has already been under threat in recent days, as North Korea plans to launch a missile into the orbit between April 12 and 16.

Its neighbors claim the launch is a ballistic missile test, while Pyongyang insists the rocket will deliver a satellite into orbit to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the birth of its ideological leader Kim il-Sung.

The information about the planned nuclear test has been picked up by many international news outlets. Martin Droll, communications director of the Korean Friendship Association in the US, believes that reports of North Korea allegedly planning new nuclear tests are “ridiculous”, but not uncommon in the South Korean media.

“There’s absolutely no evidence of that,” he told RT. “The North is very sure of its nuclear capabilities and doesn’t need to conduct further tests.”

More importantly, Droll continued, Pyongyang has made certain agreements with the United States to secure food aid and is highly unlikely to risk breaking the deals.

Previous tests have set off a spiral of international sanctions followed by further tests by North Korea. South Korean, Japanese and Chinese ministers met in Ningbo over the weekend to discuss ways of averting a repeat of this scenario.

Comments (30)

A.Smith 10.04.2012 01:00

The Evil Zionists Propaganda US /Western Media Outlets will disgorge a virtual tidal wave of 'the sky is falling' in the lead up and post-detonation of another North Korean nuclear weapon test.

This alleged test would also be seen as a righteous Slap Across The Faces of US UN Ambassador Susan Rice and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, both of these shrill neo-con war mavens have crowed and crooned about their boxing in North Korea under the direct threat of starving the North Korean Children IF North Korea went ahead with it's peaceful Satellite launch and again more threats IF North Korea went ahead with it's nuclear weapons test.

Thankfu lly North Korea isn't listening to the evil Zionist directed, owned, puppets Susan Rice and Hillary Clinton and doing what they want in their own nation.

Notic e how nations doing what they want in their own nations now brings threats, extortion and smear campaigns by evil Zionist directed Western governments?

Since the sanctions supposedly against Saddam in Iraq directly led to the deaths of thousands of Iraqi children who were unable to obtain vitally needed medical care and medicine, the same approach has been now used on Libya, Iran and North Korea. Targetting a nations children all the time the sick psychotic war mavens Susan Rice and Hillary Clinton accuse Russia and China of having 'blood on their hands'.

+13

Undo

san (unregistered) 09.04.2012 18:50

   I wonder if N.Korea is capable of building a rocket which can target HellAviv. In that case the survival of the humans will become more likely. 

+9

Undo

oneirotrader 09.04.2012 17:33

Such a large and bulky ballistic missile would be incapable of penetrating enemy anti-missile defenses in today's modern high-technology.

Especially that DPRK lacks the economic funding to build a very large number of those ballistic missiles. They would need thousands of missiles to make sure that some of them would reach their target.

What DPRK would need to penetrate enemy defenses is a large number of high speed intercontinental stealth micro-cruise missiles carring fission warheads each. No need for thermonuclear warheads, just a large number of straight fission warheads delivered by a large number of cruise missiles.

Suc h missiles would outnumber and outmanoeuver enemy defenses.

Lar ge ballistic missiles are trapped, due to their kinetic energy, into a predictable parabolic flight pattern easily defeated by today's defense systems.

In today's high tech anti-missile defense systems, such large ballistic missiles are like flying a blimp to an airfight, a slow, predictable and vulnerable target.

And if they just have a few fission warheads but non-suitable means to deliver them, that will not give them any military advantage. They need to miniaturize the warheads and deliver them by miniaturized cruise missiles.

In order to have a true deterrence capability, North Korea needs to be able to project power, bulky warheads and low tech missiles cannot accomplish this in our time and age.

DPRK should develop intercontinental cruise missiles instead. That way they could continusously test them in their own airspace. And they should miniaturize their warheads to fit them on those cruise missiles.

Now they would be able to project power and have a real deterrence capability.

+7

Undo

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