North Korea Conducts Nuclear Test, South Korea Says.

[elleng]

Source: NYT/Reuters

SEOUL, May 25 (Reuters) - North Korea conducted a nuclear test on Monday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted a ruling party official as saying.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has called an emergency meeting of cabinet ministers over the test, Yonhap said.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/05/24/world/interna...

[tnlurker]

1. Maybe this is related

http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/24/earthquake-shak... /

An earthquake is being reported by CNN in North Korea

[obliviously]

2. coincident? I think not. N/T

[Posteritatis]

31. Doubt it, since the quake happened 10km underground (nt)

[Honeycombe8]

48. The nuke test was underground, wasn't it? nt

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dgibby]

3. Here's another link.

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?glide=NC-...

[bluestateguy]

4. These people are really pushing the envelope

What a bunch of bastards. Letting their people starve, while they spend all their resources on nuclear weapons.

[TiredOldMan]

7. You said it.

It is truly disgusting to watch children starve while you work night and day trying to develop nuclear weapons.

That is often the formula that ends with a dictator hanging by a rope when the people have had enough. Here's to hoping it happens soon!

[christx30]

76. Doubt it

The North Korean people are raised from birth to believe that Kim is a god. They worship his picture. The bench where his dad sat one time in a park 30 years ago has a Plexiglas frame around it so people can't sit there. Not much we or anyone can do about it. Kim will lead them to their doom. We just need to be ready because that country is going to implode one day. Millions of starving and dying people.

[joshcryer]

17. First a rocket launch capable of easily reaching Japan, now a nuclear test.

They are freaking out of their minds.

[Baby Snooks]

40. And we are better than them?

We are letting people starve while we spend all our resources on wars for oil and bailing out Wall Street crooks.

[bluestateguy]

42. And my experiment is concluded: 5 hrs 44 min

That's how long it took for someone to blame America.

Thanks for participating.

[okieinpain]

44. funny.. n/t.

[piedmont]

65. +1

[ronnie624]

75. It can't possibly be the fault of the U.S.

It's not as if the current situation in Korea stems from the U.S. division of the country and the slaughter of millions of people with our bombers.

How could anyone think such a thing?

[greguganus]

46. No one in America is going hungry to the extreme that they are in North Korea.

Stop being silly.

[NeedleCast]

57. Yes, we are, by alot.

[Throd]

63. Yes

[donco6]

72. Actually, yes, we are.

Be serious.

[Zynx]

74. Yes we are.

There is nothing like what is happening to the people of North Korea happening here.

[cali]

86. people here are far, far better off than citizens of North Korea.

The comparision is sadly ignorant.

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tj2001]

5. Typical M.O. to get more food/money from the U.S.

Too bad the bastards are hard to get rid of.

[TiredOldMan]

8. Done it before

If you look back North Korea has made a lot of noise early in the terms of the last three Presidents to get concessions. They are probably doing it again because it worked the last two times.

[eridani]

38. I agree. Seems to be how they cadge food and fuel oil n/t

[Old Hob]

71. BS. Kim is looking for a military solution to his South Korea problem.

We've been underestimating him for years.

[Buzz Clik]

6. Any indication of the size?

[creeksneakers2]

9. 4.7

[joshcryer]

18. The last one was 4.2 magnitude, which yeilded a 1k ton nuclear bomb. So this one is similar.

[DerekJ]

34. See post #21.

[struggle4progress]

26. Unusual earthquake activity in North Korea nuclear test area (ThaiIndian News)

May 25th, 2009 - 11:49 am ICT by admin Tell a Friend -

Pyongyang, NORTH KOREA (BNO NEWS) — Unusual earthquake activity was reported in North Korea’s nuclear test area on Monday morning, the United States Geological Survey reported. The agency said the earthquake, which happened at 9.55 a.m. local time, had a preliminary magnitude of 4.7.

It struck about 45 miles from the town of Kimchaek, which is located in northern North Korea. A spokeswoman for the United States Geological Survey told BNO News that the epicenter of the earthquake was located about 5 miles west from the location of a controversial nuclear test on October 9, 2006, but the exact location was still subject to change. It struck about 6.2 miles deep, showing additional similarities to the detonation of the nuclear device in 2006.

Earthquakes in North Korea are rare and the spokeswoman said there has been nearly no activity in the last 30 years. She said the last recorded seismic activity in the area was in 2006, generated by the nuclear test. Another event was in 2002, but this earthquake struck dozens of miles away from the test area.

Further details were not immediately available, and there were no reports of any events at the nuclear test site.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world/unusual-earth...

[tekisui]

45. Russia says DPRK blast had 20 kilotonne force

MOSCOW - Russia's military said on Monday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK's) nuclear test had a force of about 20 kilotonnes, Itar-Tass quoted a source in Russia's defence ministry as saying.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2009-05/25/content_7...

[Name removed]

53. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Canuckistanian]

56. Equivalent to the Nagasaki bomb, it was estimated

Just heard it on the radio.

[struggle4progress]

77. N.Korea test "slightly bigger" than in 2006

y Sylvia Westall

VIENNA (Reuters) - ... "The event's magnitude is slightly higher than in 2006, measuring 4.52 on the Richter scale, while in 2006 it was 4.1," the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) said in a statement ...

In a statement earlier on Monday Toth said it was "a serious violation of the norm established by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and...deserves universal condemnation."

The CTBT is a global treaty which prohibits all nuclear explosions. The pact cannot enter into force before it is ratified by all 44 states listed that took part in the 1996 negotiations and have nuclear power or research reactors.

Of the five nuclear weapon states, the United States and China still have to ratify it ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE54O3L020090525

[Pavulon]

10. does mass starvation sound like a half assed nuke?

[BrotherBuzz]

30. The possibility of coordinating millions of hungry people...

to jump up and down at precisely the same time stifles my imagination so I suspect mass starvation sounds nothing like a half assed nuke. Still, a half assed nuke could demand a pretty penny on the black market, not to mention concessions from concerned nations. How does one negotiate with a walking, talking, living, breathing loon?

[Pavulon]

52. Game Theory requires parties to be "sane"

to act in a logical method. It really is not possible to negotiate with a person who is not sane.

[Dreamer Tatum]

82. Stand under a "half assed nuke" with your loved ones and get back to me

on what it's like to have it go off.

[jimlup]

11. Damn!

Guess what follows? A chorus of republican's blaming Obama... fucking idiots.

Maybe it was just an earthquake and not a test. A 4.7 is a little big to have been a nuke test - even a big one. I don't think the seismologists would make that big a mistake.

Opps! No - I checked. I guess it could have been measured as a 4.7 magnitude quake. The seismic signature will be different but damn! That means it worked instead of the fizzle they had last time.

https://www.llnl.gov/str/Zucca.html

[creeksneakers2]

12. I was hoping that too

But North Korea announced there was a test. So for it to be an earthquake, North Korea would have had to take advantage of the quake to make a bogus nuke test announcement.

[jimlup]

14. No - actually I was wrong...

It may well have been a successful test. That would give an initial yield of a moderate earthquake.

Damnit! Now we'll have to hear about how Obama is soft and shit for the next few weeks. Anybody have any suggestions for counter arguements. Shit!

We know Obama is perfectly capable of dealing with the N. Korean's but we'll have to deal with the dim wits in our own country!

[joshcryer]

16. You test in seismically quiet zones to *avoid* causing tremors and other earthquakes.

This is 100% another test. When they did the first one I calculated that it would take several hundred large 5 ton trucks of TNT to create similar effects, at which point it was determined that the last one was most likely a nuclear test.

This one is, too.

[Subdivisions]

22. deleted. wrong place. n/t

[onehandle]

13. Did they use one of the nukes they developed while Bush was invading Iraq?

Oops.

[jimlup]

15. Actually they just started reprocessing plutonium a few months ago

So they've been ready and waiting. I guess this is their response to the UN's condemnation of their missile test.

Here we go into another round. Thank God Obama is at the helm. Bush might have been insane enough to start bombing.

[joshcryer]

19. This one was more efficient than the last, too. If you compare blast size.

Quite scary indeed.

[jimlup]

20. Do you know the magnitude of the first fizzle

That would allow us to do a rough calculation of the yield. I'm looking it up now.

[jimlup]

21. OK... I'm estimating it was just over a kiloton...

The fizzle test was 4.2 richter scale. This was 4.7

((4.7/4.2)^(3/2))*800 tons = 1340 tons

[DerekJ]

27. The Richter Scale is a logarithmic scale with a base of 10. The new weapon is 3 times as strong.

In other words an earthquake with a magnitude of 5 is 10 times stronger than that of a 4 magnitude. similarly an earthquake with a magnitude of 4 is ten times stronger than that of 3 magnitude, and magnitude of 5 is then 100 times stronger than that of 3.

If we assume that the yield is linearly proportional magnitude of the earth quake, then our equation should look like this:

New Yield = ((10^4.7)/ (10^4.2) ) * Old Yield;
New Yield = 3.16 * 1 Mega Ton = 3.16 Mega Ton.

The new weapon is approximately 3 times stronger.

Edit: I read the yield was 1 Kilo Ton not 1 Mega Ton, the weapon is still 3 times stronger, but it will be 3.16 Kilo TOn instead of Mega Ton.

[DerekJ]

36. Small correction to the equation above.

According to wikipedia :
"The energy release of an earthquake, which closely correlates to its destructive power, scales with the 3⁄2 power of the shaking amplitude"

So the new more correct equation is :


New Yield = ((10^4.7)/ (10^4.2) )^(3/2) * Old Yield;
New Yield = 5.62 * 1 Kilo Ton = 5.62 Kilo Ton.


The new yield is approx 6 times stronger.

[Subdivisions]

23. BREAKING: North Korea test-fires short-range missile

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iURO8...
10 minutes ago

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean news agency has reported that North Korea test-fired a short-range missile.

The Yonhap news agency report Monday comes just hours after the communist nation declared that it successfully conducted a nuclear test.

Yonhap said North Korea fired a ground-to-air missile with a range of 80 miles (130 kilometers) from its northeastern Musudan-ri launch site. The regime also launched a long-range rocket from that site on April 5.

South Korea's military said it was checking the report.



WTF???

[ohio2007]

51. naw...no connection to this story.

move along

[Kablooie]

24. That's wonderful! I'm so proud of them!

[JVS]

84. Me too. They've overcome the obstacles and now have an insurance policy against invasion.

[struggle4progress]

25. US consulting with allies to establish facts on NKorean test claim (AFP | Hindustan Times)

Agence France-Presse
Washington, May 25, 2009
First Published: 09:44 IST(25/5/2009)
Last Updated: 09:46 IST(25/5/2009)

The United States has begun consultations with its allies in a bid to establish facts about North Korea's claim that it had conducted a new nuclear test, a State Department official said late on Sunday.

"We are aware of the reports of a nuclear test by North Korea," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "We are consulting with our allies. Once we have established the facts, we will have more to say."

The comments came after North Korea said it had staged a "successful" underground nuclear test on Monday, which was more powerful than its previous test.

South Korean officials said a tremor was detected around the northeastern town of Kilju, near where the first test was conducted in October 2006.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?...

[struggle4progress]

28. U.S. unable to confirm N.K.'s nuke test (Korean Herald)

The United States said Monday that it was trying to determine the authenticity of North Korea's claim that it conducted a second nuclear test just hours earlier, according to Yonhap News.

"We are aware of the reports of a nuclear test by North Korea," a State Department official said, requesting anonymity. "We are consulting with our allies. Once we have established the facts, we will have more to say. At this point, I do not have a timeline as to when there will be more to say" ...

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/20...

[struggle4progress]

29. Q+A-What's the real threat of N.Korea's nuclear programme? (Reuters)

By Jon Herskovitz

SEOUL, May 25 (Reuters) - ... North Korea is thought to have produced enough plutonium for about six to eight weapons and has already produced one rudimentary nuclear device. It likely cannot miniaturise a nuclear weapon to mount on a missile and would need a significant amount of testing to master the technology, weapons experts say. And its Soviet-era bombers would not be able to evade the advanced air forces of the United States, Japan and South Korea to deliver a bomb, which means it may be many years before North Korea can actually threaten the world with a nuclear weapon ...

The North's nuclear arms programme is not a major security threat at present because it has not yet shown it can build an effective bomb, nor does it have an effective delivery system ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSEO1721...

[ronnie624]

64. Now you've done it.

You've thrown cold water on a perfectly good panic session.

Thanks a LOT!

[Arrowhead2k1]

32. Whoa, I wasn't expecting this. Did North Korea say they would resume testing?

[Regret My New Name]

33. Aren't they always saying something along those lines?

[thewiseguy]

35. Russia says the yield was 20kt

Thats pretty significant.

[proteus_lives]

37. Well, what pricks.

Invading Iraq was a waste of time and blood. I wish there was a way to invade NK, take away their nukes and give everybody a decent meal.

[Ediacara]

39. The USGS says it was a Mw 4.7, which means this bomb was about 11.2 kt

Which is slightly smaller than the bomb we dropped on Hiroshima.

[davidpdx]

47. We didn't feel anything down here in Seoul

When I heard about it this afternoon I was a little shocked. That and the three missle launches today. Coupled with Roh's suicide over the weekend, it's been a rocky few days over there.

[joshcryer]

60. What is general sentiment there?

[davidpdx]

85. Nobody is panicking

This has happened before. Not a big deal. Two more missles were launched today. Life goes on.

[Odin2005]

49. Lunacy, simple lunacy!

[ohio2007]

50. The inner circle chose to feed the people grass and dirt in order to conduct such tests but who is

spending the capital to flip the bill for Kim's glorious footprint in history ?

Who benefits with the missile tests? Who benefits with the nuke tests?

Kim?

There can't be any doubt by now that somebody outside NK is co supporting these tests. Why would they risk UN "boldly worded statements" against Kim unless they knew the world will roll over with compromise and diplomatic measures of dialog ?

Simple lunacy indeed

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

54. So, what happens now?

I mean, NK's dictator has to have at least enough grasp on reality to know he can't wage war on any nation bigger than Tuvalu and not get creamed, right?

[Pavulon]

55. They still starve and eat dirt in there..

S. Korea still thrives. We still do what we do and not much changes. Maybe japan becomes a nuclear power, which they could do in about a week or so..We will still have the ability to incinerate every living man woman and child in china and n.korea with three independent modes and they know that. But we have had that for 40 years or more.

In reality nothing is different. If this guy fires another rocket towards hawaii or towards china or japan it will be considered a first strike ina nuclear war. Then things will change.

[joshcryer]

59. Chances of a N.-S. Korea reunification certainly look gloomy now.

They looked a lot better before 2006, mind you, but after the first nuclear test, and the recent power plays, you can bet such a reunification is on shakier grounds now.

Quite unfortunate.

If any place needed invading it was N. Korea (I know I am liable to get in trouble for this statement). But N. Korea doesn't have oil and who gives a shit right?

[Name removed]

73. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Pavulon]

79. 0 - 2 so far...

N Korea has been run by insane dictator fuckheads for more than 8 years. Now who were the parties involved in the korean war?

[ohio2007]

81. 0-3. As you know, Kim has been around for 15 years, not 8

and his dad was the "Divine leader" before him.

The next nut won't roll far from the tree either

U.N. Council Condemns North Korea's Nuclear Test

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124322074782250897.html...

This Nork shit has been going on since the early 1990's. When will the heavenly storks come down and snatch that stroke victim crazy back to heaven?


Pyongyang, A Great Place to Live
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f0e_1190803294

North Koreans 'know of' the internet
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0ec_1190375019

[ronnie624]

83. In Kwangju City, South Jolla Province,

19 civic groups from different quarters held a press conference on February 8. They said in their statement that Bush’s visit to South Korea was aimed at hindering the implementation of the historic inter-Korean joint declaration, strengthening U.S. interference in Korea’s domestic affairs, pressuring Seoul to purchase U.S. weapons, and throwing cold water on the Korean efforts to bring about national reunification.

On February 7, the Kwangju Christian Association issued a statement, denouncing the U.S. that it lumped North Korea with Iraq and Iran as an “axis of evil” in a bid to avoid growing global denunciation of the U.S. for its intention to start another world war based on the notorious “clash of civilizations” theory. “This is nothing but an acme of U.S. policy of world domination.” The Mokpo District Branch of Korea Teachers Trade Union said in a statement on February 7: “We will teach our children on the war crimes America had inflicted upon Koreans so that they clearly understand who is really part of an ‘axis of evil.’”


Those are the words of the South Koreans. They are the ones who have a real stake in this issue, not you and your precious militaristic foreign policy establishment.

[Muttocracy]

58. another legacy of the Cheney years. nt

[Akoto]

61. North Korea: "Boo, nuke testing! More aid now, please."

I think that's pretty much the sum of it. They wouldn't launch a weapon unless they wanted to bring a private Armageddon down upon their country, because that's exactly what'd happen. On the other hand, the fear of them doing so has certainly served them well in getting things they've wanted.

[Akoto]

62. Delete, double post. n/t

n/t

[tomm2thumbs]

66. Report: NKorea test-fires 2 more missiles

Source: AP Yahoo

SEOUL, South Korea – A South Korean news agency says North Korea has test-fired two more short-range missiles.
The Yonhap news agency says North Korea test-fired a total of three short-range missiles Monday after declaring that it successfully conducted a nuclear test.
Yonhap did not provide further details and did not name its source. South Korea's military declined to confirm the reports, saying it does not comment on intelligence matters.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090525/ap_on_re_as/as_kore...

---

The earlier story is also at that link so you can review info on the underground nuclear test as well

[Turborama]

67. Obama says N.Korea nuclear test a "grave concern"

Source: Reuters

President Barack Obama said on Monday that North Korea's nuclear and missile tests were a "matter of grave concern to all nations" and warranted action by the international community.

Obama, in a statement after Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test and reportedly fired a short-range missile, said: "North Korea is directly and recklessly challenging the international community. North Korea's behavior increases tensions and undermines stability in Northeast Asia."

The nuclear test was Pyongyang's second -- its first was in October 2006 -- and came just two months after North Korea launched a rocket believed to be a test of its long-range missile capability. Pyongyang said it had put a communications satellite into space.

"North Korea's attempts to develop nuclear weapons, as well as its ballistic missile program, constitute a threat to international peace and security," said Obama, adding that Washington would work through the U.N. Security Council and the six-party talks on North Korea to address the issue.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE54O0V420...

---

Obama leads condemnation of NKorea nuclear test

Source: the New Straits Times

US President Barack Obama led condemnation of North Korea's nuclear test, calling for a global response to what he said was a "threat to international peace".

Russia, current chair of the UN Security Council, convened an emergency meeting of the 15-member body later Monday to discuss the issue, while Japan and South Korea formed crisis management teams.

The European Union, Britain and France added their voices to the chorus of international concern after the communist North said Monday it had carried out its second nuclear test , more powerful that an atomic bomb test in 2006.

Read more: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/AfpNews/09052508...

-- --- ---

International outrage as North Korea carries out nuclear test

Source: The Times (UK)

Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor

President Barack Obama accused North Korea of threatening the peace and security of the world by carrying out a nuclear test this morning, and demanded that it abandon its nuclear programme and return to disarmament negotiations.

“North Korea’s attempts to develop nuclear weapons, as well as its ballistic missile programme, constitute a threat to international peace and security,” he said, a few hours after the underground nuclear test, which shook the earth as far away as China and was detected by earthquake monitoring equipment across the Pacific.

Mr Obama added: “By acting in blatant defiance of the United Nations Security Council, North Korea is directly and recklessly challenging the international community. North Korea's behaviour increases tensions and undermines stability in Northeast Asia.

"Such provocations will only serve to deepen North Korea's isolation. It will not find international acceptance unless it abandons its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery,” he said.

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/articl...

-- --- --

Q+A - What's the real threat of N.Korea's nuclear programme?
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSEO1721...

-- --- --

Donald Kirk, author of several books on korea and the Korea correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor tells Al Jazeera what he thinks the reasons are behind Pyongyang's latest nuclear test: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkXy-vLWYwA

[jessicaconway]

68. Massive worry

Thanks for this article. This is a massive worry. What possible need could they have to want nuclear weapons? I hope this does not get out of hand.

[tomm2thumbs]

69. it's the more expensive version of Viagra n/t

[ohio2007]

70. What does China say about these recent actions of their lap dog ?

Will they suggest the "world" send more aid to the walking dead man ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmZushE3tRw&feature=chan...

[struggle4progress]

78. UN chief sees 'violation' if NKorea test confirmed

By EDITH M. LEDERER – 3 hours ago

... Ban, who was in the Danish capital for a global business summit on climate change, said he would closely monitor the meeting in New York.

New testing by North Korea would undermine peace and security in the region, Ban said, and he urged the communist nation "to refrain from taking any actions which will deteriorate the situation."

"I'm deeply disturbed by a report of nuclear testing," he said. "If it is confirmed, it is a clear violation of Security Council resolution 1718 of 2006. And it runs counter to the ongoing international community's efforts to curb nuclear proliferations" ... http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5if8aR...

[ohio2007]

80. LOL headline of the day...........Iran: no nuclear, missile cooperation with N.Korea

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran has no missile or nuclear cooperation with North Korea, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday, after North Korea conducted a second and far more powerful nuclear test.

snip

"We don't have any cooperation (with North Korea) in this field. We oppose the production, the amassing and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," Ahmadinejad told a news conference.

Scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, revered by many Pakistanis as the father of the country's nuclear bomb, confessed to selling nuclear secrets to Iran, North Korea and Libya in 2004.

Military experts say Iran's Shahab-3 missile is based on the North Korean Nodong missile.


snip

http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE54O31R2009...

yet they had scientists and technicians present at the last round of missile tests.Sure would be a shocker if they didn't get invited to the current gun show.