DPRK announces success of first H-bomb test, draws criticism

TheDemocraticPeople'sRepublicofKoreaannouncedWednesdaythatithassuccessfullycarriedoutitsfirsthydrogenbombtest.

Themovehasimmediatelygivenrisetoachorusofcondemnationsfromseveralcountries,withsomealsoexpressingsuspicionabouttheannouncement.

Totalsuccess

Inastatementcarriedbythestate-runKCNA,Pyongyangsaidthe"totalsuccess"ofthetest,whichtookplaceat10:00a.m.Pyongyangtime(0130GMT),meantthattheDPRKhas"proudlyjoinedtheadvancedranksofnuclearweaponsstatespossessedofevenH-bomb."

Thetesthas"provedthetechnologicalspecificationsofthenewlydevelopedH-bombwereaccurateandscientificallyverifiedthepowerofsmallerH-bomb,"saidthestatement.

TheDPRKclaimedthatthetestwasconducted"inasafeandperfectmanner"andthatnoadverseimpactwascausedontheenvironment.

ItaddedthatitsdevelopmentofnuclearweaponsisaimedatsmashingtheU.S.hostilepolicyagainstit,andstressedthattheDPRKwouldnotresorttonuclearweaponsunlessitssovereigntywasinfringedon.

TheannouncementofDPRK’sH-bombtestdrawscriticismandskepticismofinternationalsociety.

Internationalcommunity’sresponses:criticismandskepticism

CTBTO:Unusualseismicevent

TheVienna-basedPreparatoryCommissionfortheComprehensiveNuclear-Test-BanTreatyOrganization(CTBTO)saiditdetectedanunusualseismiceventWednesdayclosetothe2013thirdnucleartestsiteintheDPRK.

"Ifconfirmedasanucleartest,thisactconstitutesabreachoftheuniversallyacceptednormagainstnucleartesting;anormthathasbeenrespectedby183countriessince1996,"saidtheorganization,whichhasbuiltmanydetectingstationsworldwidethatmonitorseismiceventscausedbyanuclearbomborearthquake.

IAEA:Deeplyregrettable

TheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA)alsosaidinastatementthattheDPRK'snucleartest,ifconfirmed,"isinclearviolationofUNSecurityCouncilresolutionsandisdeeplyregrettable."

"IstronglyurgetheDPRKtoimplementfullyallrelevantresolutionsoftheUNSecurityCouncilandtheIAEA,"IAEAchiefYukiyaAmanosaid,notingthattheagencyisreadytoresumethenuclearverificationinthecountyonceapoliticalagreementisreached.

China:FirmlyopposetheDPRK’snucleartest

China,apermanentmemberoftheUNSecurityCouncilandacountrywhichenjoysclosetieswiththeDPRKduetogeographicallocation,respondedharshly.

TheChineseForeignMinistrysaidinastatementthatChina"firmly"opposestheDPRK'snucleartestandwillworkwiththeinternationalcommunityforthedenuclearizationoftheKoreanPeninsula.

"ChinaissteadfastinitspositionthattheKoreanPeninsulashouldbedenuclearizedandnuclearproliferationshouldbepreventedtomaintainpeaceandstabilityinNortheastAsia,"ForeignMinistryspokespersonHuaChunyingannouncedatapressbriefing.

"WestronglyurgetheDPRKtohonoritscommitmenttodenuclearization,andtoceaseanyactionthatmaydeterioratethesituation,"Huasaid.

S.Korea:Thetestisa“graveprovocation”

SouthKoreaonWednesdaystronglydenouncedtheDPRKforitsfourthnucleartest,warningitwouldpayapriceforitsunexpectedprovocationthatthreatensworldpeace.

ChoTae-yong,SouthKorea'sfirstdeputychiefofthepresidentialsecurityoffice,readastatementatthepresidentialoffice,sayingthecountrywillcloselycooperatewithitsalliesandparticipantsofthesix-partytalkstodenuclearizetheKoreanPeninsulatomaketheDPRKpayapriceforitsnucleartest.

Meanwhile,SouthKorea'sintelligenceagencyexpressedskepticismoverwhetherthedevicetestedWednesdaybytheDPRKwasahydrogennuclearbomb.Thecountry'smeteorologicalagencysaidseparatelythatithadnotdetectedanyradiationaftertheDPRKmadetheannouncement.

U.S.-SouthKoreaalliance:WarnofhighpriceoverDPRKnuketest

SouthKoreanPresidentParkGeun-hyeandU.S.PresidentBarackObamaspokebyphoneforabout20minutes,andagreedtopushforstrongUnitedNationsresolutionsovertheDemocraticPeople'sRepublicofKorea(DPRK)'sfourthnucleartest,Park'sofficesaidThursday.

SouthKoreanForeignMinisterYunByung-SeandhisU.S.counterpartJohnKerrystressedtheimportanceofdeliveringtheinternationalcommunity'smessagethattheDPRKwouldpayahighpriceforitsprovocation,agreeingtocoordinateintakingbilateralandmultilateraldiplomaticactions.Thetopdiplomatsalsoagreedtopushforswift,strongUNSecurityCouncilresolutions.

SouthKoreanDefenseMinisterHanMin-Koosaidinajointstatementattheministry'sheadquartersinSeoulafterspeakingbyphonewithU.S.DefenseSecretaryAshCarterthattheDPRKhasneverbeen,andwillneverbe,acceptedasanuclearstate.TheannouncementwasattendedbyGen.CurtisScaparrotti,commanderoftheU.S.ForcesKorea(USFK),andSouthKorea'sJointChiefsofStaffChairmanLeeSun-Jin.

Japan:ClearlyviolatesUNSecurityCouncilresolutions

PrimeMinisterofJapanShinzoAbesaidtheDPRK'smove"clearlyviolatesUNSecurityCouncilresolutionsandisagravechallengeagainstinternationaleffortsfornon-proliferation."

Japan,headded,willworkalongwithothercountriestotakefirmactionagainsttheDPRKifPyongyang'sclaimofaH-bombtestturnsouttobetrue.

Thailand: Deeply concerned

Thailand is "deeply concerned" by an announcement from the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that it has successfully conducted yet another nuclear test, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released Thursday.

"This highly deplorable act not only violates the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, but also has undermined the collective efforts by the international community towards non-proliferation and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,"said the statement dated Wednesday.

The DPRK announced Wednesday that it had successfully carried out its first "hydrogen bomb" test.

EU: Illegalanddangerousbehavior

InBrussels,theEuropeanUnion(EU)calledontheDPRKtoceaseits"illegalanddangerousbehavior"inthewakeofthecountry'sannouncementonthehydrogenbombtest.

Theannouncement,ifconfirmed,wouldrepresentagraveviolationoftheDPRK'sinternationalobligationsnottoproduceortestnuclearweapons,asdeterminedbyseveralUNSecurityCouncilresolutions,EUforeignpolicychiefFedericaMogherinisaidinastatement.

TheDPRK'sactionwouldalsorepresent"athreattothepeaceandsecurityoftheentireNorthEastAsiaregion,"saidthestatement.

"IcallontheDPRKtore-engageinacredibleandmeaningfuldialoguewiththeinternationalcommunity,inparticularintheframeworkofthesix-partytalks,"Mogherinisaid.

Britain:Condemnwithoutreservation

BritishForeignSecretaryPhilipHammonddescribedtheDPRK'sactas"agravebreachofUNSecurityCouncilresolutionsandaprovocationwhichIcondemnwithoutreservation."

"ItunderlinestheveryrealthreatthatNorthKorearepresentstoregionalandinternationalsecurity,"hesaidinastatement.

"WewillbeworkingwithotherUNSecurityCouncilmemberstoensuretheinternationalcommunityrespondsurgentlyanddecisivelytothislatestactivity,"headded.

France:Anunacceptableviolation

InastatementissuebytheElysee,FranceurgedtheDPRKtostop"anunacceptableviolation"ofUNSecurityCouncilresolutions.

Francecalledfor"astrongreactionfromtheinternationalcommunity"ifthenucleartestwasconfirmed,FrenchPresidentFrancoisHollande'sofficesaid.

U.N.:"Dismayedanddisappointed"

PresidentoftheUNGeneralAssemblyMogensLykketoftsaidinastatementonWednesdaythathewas"dismayedanddisappointed"bythenewsofanundergroundnucleartestcarriedbytheDemocraticPeople'sRepublicofKorea(DPRK).

"SuchactivitiesareinviolationofnumerousUNSecurityCouncilresolutionsandhavethepotentialtodestabilisethesituationontheKoreanpeninsula,"hesaid.

Nuclearweaponsandotherweaponsofmassdestructionthreatentheexistenceofhumankindandmustbeeliminated,headded.

"IcallontheDemocraticPeople'sRepublicofKoreatopursueitsobjectivesbychoosingdialogueoverdemonstrationsofpowerthatpresentaseriousthreattoglobalpeaceandsecurity,"hesaid.

EU,ROKandJapanexchangeviewsonallegedDPRKnucleartest

TheforeignpolicychiefoftheEuropeanUnion(EU)FedericaMogheriniWednesdayhadphonecallswithhercounterpartsintheRepublicofKorea(ROK),YunByung-seandJapan,FumioKishidasharedtheirunderstandingofthesituation,andtheyagreedthat,ifconfirmed,theactionrepresentsagraveviolationoftheDPRK'sinternationalobligationsnottoproduceortestnuclearweaponsandthreatensthepeaceandsecurityoftheentireNorthEastAsiaregionandbeyond.

DPRK'SPREVIOUSNUCLEARTESTS

Oct.9,2006--TheofficialKCNAnewsagencyreportsthatthecountryhasconductedasuccessfulnucleartestinNorthHamgyong-dointhenortheastofthecountry.TheU.NSecurityCouncilonOct.14passesResolution1718tocondemnthetest.

May25,2009--TheDPRKconductsitssecondnucleartest.TheKCNAsaysthatDPRKscientistshavebeenabletoincreasetheexplosivepowerandcontrollevelofthebombcomparedwiththefirsttest.

ThetestpromptsUNSecurityCouncilResolution1874,whichvoices"thestrongestcondemnation"againstDPRKauthoritiesanddemandsthecountrystopfurthernuclearweapon-relatedactivities.

Feb.12,2013--TheDPRKcarriesoutathirdnucleartest,whichtheKCNAdescribesas"highlevel,safeandperfect."