N. Korea conducts second nuke test

North Korea conducted a second, more powerful nuclear test yesterday morning, prompting international condemnation and warnings of tougher U.N. sanctions.

Pyongyang also fired three short-range missiles from its eastern coastal launch site in the afternoon.

The communist country said the underground nuclear blast was carried out "successfully" and "on a new higher level in terms of its explosive power and technology," than its first test in October 2006.



Military authorities in Russia estimated that the blast was 20 times as powerful as the first nuclear detonation, which was regarded as only marginally successful.

The U.N. Security Council was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting at 5 a.m. today in Seoul time.

Seoul condemned the North`s move as an "intolerable provocation" that clearly violated inter-Korean and multinational agreements and a U.N. resolution that banned its nuclear test and missile-related activities.

U.S. President Barack Obama said the test was "a threat to international peace" and "warrants action by the international community."

Russia, Britain and France, all UNSC members with veto power, called for a stern action against the violation of the U.N. resolution.

China, the North`s only ally and a permanent UNSC member, urged Pyongyang to cease all actions that would worsen the situation.

The North is seen to be aiming at securing recognition of its nuclear power status and greater leverage in negotiations with the United States.

The secretive regime also appears to be trying to consolidate its leader Kim Jong-il`s grip on power. He reportedly suffered a stroke last year.

The official North Korean Central News Agency said the North "successfully conducted one more underground nuclear test on May 25 as part of the measures to bolster its nuclear deterrent for self-defense in every way."

Seismic activity indicated the test was more powerful than the first and took place in Gilju, northeast North Korea, at 9:54 a.m.

South Korean and U.S. institutes said they detected a 4.4-4.7 magnitude earthquake at a depth of 10 kilometers underground about 375 kilometers northeast of Pyongyang, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The seismic magnitude of the 2006 test was measured at 3.6.

It is unclear whether the more powerful tremor resulted from technological advancement or simply use of more plutonium.

The Russian Defense Ministry was quoted as saying the explosion was measured at up to 20 kilotons, 20 times more powerful than the 2006 test.

The North is believed to have produced enough plutonium to produce up to eight nuclear weapons from its five-megawatt reactor in Yongbyon.

The North had threatened to stage new nuclear and missile tests and reactivate its frozen nuclear programs to protest against a U.N. condemnation of its long-range rocket launch on April 5.

The North also declared that it was quitting the six-nation talks, which have been stalled since late last year over differences on how to verify the North`s denuclearization.

President Lee Myung-bak called the test "truly disappointing" during an emergency meeting of the National Security Council in the afternoon.

"The North`s second nuclear test is a serious threat to peace not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in Northeast Asia and the rest of the world, and a grave challenge to the international nonproliferation regime," presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said.

"The North abandoned its obligation under an inter-Korean joint declaration of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and the agreement of the six-party talks. It committed a clear violation of the UNSC Resolution 1718 that banned its new nuclear tests," the spokesman said.

Seoul will push for "appropriate measures" at the UNSC through cooperation with the United States, Japan, China and Russia, he added.

The government banned South Koreans from visiting the North, with the exception of the Gaeseong joint industrial complex.

Obama said in a statement: "North Korea is directly and recklessly challenging the international community. North Korea`s behavior increases tensions and undermines stability in Northeast Asia."

The detonation promoted hectic consultations among six-party dialogue partners.

Lee said he had discussed joint action with the Japanese prime minister by telephone.

Foreign Ministers from South Korea and Japan agreed to raise the North`s new provocation at the UNSC as early as possible. They met on the sidelines of Asia-Europe Meeting in Hanoi.

"Foreign Ministers Yu Myung-hwan and Hirofumi Nakasone agreed to call for the UNSC to convene an emergency meeting on the issue as early as possible," a Seoul official said, asking not to be named.

Foreign Minister Yu also met his Chinese and Russian counterparts.

It is uncertain whether the two countries will approve new sanctions against the North.

In 2006, Beijing and Moscow agreed to condemn and punish the North following its nuclear and missile tests.

But in April, they blocked a U.S. and Japanese bid to impose additional sanctions, only agreeing to a nonbinding statement and the tightening of existing sanctions.

The North launched a 130-kilometer range missile around noon and two additional short-range missiles at around 5:03 p.m., Seoul defense officials said.

The latter two launches were seen as an apparent move to threaten U.S. spy planes monitoring the nuclear test site, they added.

"The latest missiles were fired from Wonsan, which isn`t too far from Taepodong, where the first (missile) was launched," an official said. "The launches appear to be a reaction to U.S. surveillance efforts."

The news of the nuclear test temporally rattled regional financial markets.

Asian shares fell broadly with Seoul`s market closing just 0.2 percent lower after an earlier plunge. The Korean won closed 0.3 percent lower than on Friday, ending two days of gains versus the dollar. The yen dropped to a two-week low against the euro.

By Hwang Jang-jin



(jjhwang@heraldm.com)