North Korea reports: underground nuclear bomb tested on Monday!

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North Korea said it had successfully conducted a nuclear test on Monday, first comments mention a 10 kilotons bomb? If confirmed, much bigger than last time. Second test in the last 3 years after October 2006, KCNA agency reports. The agency says Monday's test was "aimed at strengthening its [North Korea's] self-defense nuclear deterrent in every way". The news confirms earlier reports by South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

South Korea's president is reported to have convened an emergency security meeting and Japan is setting up a task force in the prime minister's office. The KCNA report gave no details of the location of the test. South Korean officials said a strong seismic tremor, 4.7, was detected in the north-eastern part of the communist state. A tremor was detected around the northeastern town of Kilju, (40.9642 latitude 129.328 longitude) near where the first test was conducted in October 2006.

Pyongyang already stated it wanted to be recognized as a nuclear power. But Pyongyang knows its use would be suicidal! North Korea is known, although being years away from advance technology, to have missiles but not confirmed technology for being capable of carrying nuclear ballistic missiles on long range such as Asia or Europe or America. Some Asian stocks, Shanghai, Seoul, Hong-Kong, declined after nuclear test.


This photo taken on October 16, 2006 and made available on October 24 by South Korea's Arirang 2 satellite shows a three-dimensional description of North Korea's suspected nuclear test site in P'unggye-yok Kilju county, North Korea. (Arirang view)