Pyongyang increasingly isolated after "success" of a third nuclear test
Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - North Korea has announced that it carried out a new nuclear test earlier today, which was "a success", attracting criticism from the international community.
The KCNA state agency reports that "the nuclear test that was carried out at a high level in a safe and perfect manner using a miniaturised and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously did not pose any negative impact on the surrounding ecological environment. "
According to some mmonitoring agencies, there was a slight earthquake of magnitude 4.9 at about 11:57 today in the Punggye-ri area, where there is an underground nuclear site.
The biggest fear is the "miniaturization" of nuclear devices. This means that Pyongyang could produce nuclear warheads small enough to be loaded onto long-range missiles.
The defense ministry in Seoul has estimated that the bomb was carrying a load of 6-7 kilotons, higher than the previous two experiments in 2006 and 2009. By comparison, the bomb exploded in Hiroshima carried 14 kilotons.
This third experiment was pre-announced with great rhetoric by the regime's media, the threat of continued nuclear testing is at least three weeks old, since the UN increased sanctions against North Korea after it launched some experimental missiles.
Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary general, condemned the nuclear test as "regrettable" pointing out that in this way Pyongyang defies all international appeals not to make such provocative gestures.
Martin Nesirky, spokesman for Ban Ki-moon, also stated that the test "is a clear and serious violation of the most important resolutions of the Security Council."
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting today in closed session on North Korea's nuclear test.
The UN Council is more compact against Pyongyang, the latest sanctions were also passed with the support of Beijing, which had been the only real ally of the Kim dictatorship.
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