S. Korean Lawmaker, "Russia might have given N. Korea know-how of miniature nukes"

Chosun Ilbo ^ | 10/11/06

[TigerLikesRooster]

/begin my translation

S. Korean Lawmaker, "Russia might have given know-how of miniature nukes to N. Korea"

Kong Sung-jin, a S. Korean opposition lawmaker at Intelligence Committee of National Assembly, told on Oct. 11, "We have intelligence that the reason why Russia is the first nation N. Korea gave advance warning of its nuclear test is because Russia gave N. Korea technology for miniaturizing nukes. They are trying to verify the allegation."

Legislator Kong appeared on 'Open World Today with Chang Sung-min,' a news talk show of Pyong-hwa Radio, and commented, "Russia and China were the first to know N. Korea's nuclear test. Even though it is not verified, we heard that N. Korea notified Russia two hours before the test."

He maintained, "I am sure that N. Korea want to keep equal distance from both countries, but it may also reflect N. Korea's deep dissatisfaction with China, due to its recent pressure on N. Korea."

"China got notified 20 minutes before the test, and notified S. Korea, U.S., and Japan in this order. That is why S. Korea got informed at 10:50 am (Oct. 9.) Since neither of U.S., Japan, and China had not detected underground nuclear test (in advance,) it is not fair that our intelligence gathering ability is at fault."

Seoul = Yonhap News

2006.10.11

/end my translation

[TigerLikesRooster]

Mr. Kong must be refering to the information mentioned in the following passage from another news article:

/snip

British nuclear expert, Dr. John Large, pointed out, in his Oct. 10 e-mail to Korean Federation For Environmental Movement, "A nuclear test using a horizontal tunnel was developed by Russia. This design could disrupt P-wave, a seismic wave used to estimate the size and the location of nuclear test."

Dr. Large went on, "If N. Korea did conduct a nuclear test using a horizontal tunnel, we could raise suspicion that Russia helped out N. Korean nuclear test. Russians estimates N. Korea's test yielded 3~10 kilotons. This is a fair size blast for a first test."

/snip

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In another FR-thread I posted, we had the following image whose lower half contains the schematic diagram of a test tunnel. It is a horizontal tunnel. A freeper GOP_1900AD left the following interesting comment:

If the diagram is correct, then indeed, this was not a standard underground test. Not only was there a cavity but some sort of enclosure within it. What was the enclosure? Note also the zigs and zags of the access tunnel. Might have been intended to result in a resonance which would cancel out the P-waves and help to minimize venting.

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Is it really possible that Russia helped out either design of nuke or design of their test site? If this design can indeed cancel out some of P-waves and make the blast appear smaller than the actual one, it is one way to explain why the blast produced such a small readout at many seismic stations. On the other hand, we have no report of radioactive isotopes from the blast and satellites still failed to spot a new crater-like depression formed after the underground test. The above scenario cannot address these problems, either.

Anyway, Russia is doggedly claiming that it is indeed the nuclear blast and the World should treat N. Korea as a nuclear power. Why so insistent while many others are not really sure? Especially, the Russian Defense Minister?

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[eastforker]

It is called posturing for when the time comes when Iran announces that it has the same technology and when Russia states it will defend Iran.

[ConservativeMind]

Well, if it was done within a mountain, there wouldn't need to be a depression left behind, I would think.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Thank you, very interesting and good information to know.

[TigerLikesRooster]

This might interest you.

[#1CTYankee]

Yeah, North Korea made a miniature nuke alright, out of bottle rockets and M80's

[conservativecorner]

Which is why President Bush knowing Putin's heart is complete B$. Once KGB always KGB.

[RusIvan]

Anyway, Russia is doggedly claiming that it is indeed the nuclear blast and the World should treat N. Korea as a nuclear power. Why so insistent while many others are not really sure? Especially, the Russian Defense Minister?==

It is just because it was the NK-test of warhead of newest russian ICBM Topol-M which Russia sold to NK in amount 100 devices in order to they resell them to Iran with price $1 bln per device (the nice price isn't it?:).

So the price is right and Russia makes lot of money but you may image that KGB-colonel Putin couldn't directly sell them to Iran fearing to piss off Europe and USA.

So then NK just tested what Russia delivered them. If the explosion wasn't nuclier then it means that Russia deceived NK and Iran and sold then nonnuclier warheads as nuclier which is huge deceipt. Russia losing face before her customers and incoming deals with Hugo Chavez which is about 100 Topol-M more will go under.

Hence to defend russian business, Russian defense minister just compels NK offocials now that the warheads on sold newest ICBMs are nuclier indeed.

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How is such explanation? I heard that it could be exerpt from the latest article of Anna Politkovskaya:)). So you will read such things in WP tomorrow:)).

[justa-hairyape]

How could the Russians tell the difference between a working nuclear device which was successfully dampened and a failed nuclear device that was not properly dampened ? I don't see how you can do that with remote sensing in the above illustrated example. Russia is either lying or guessing.

[AmericanInTokyo]

DPRK gave China 20 minutes advance heads up on the test.

DPRK gave RUSSIA a full two hours advance notice.

The gap of nearly 1 hour and 40 minutes is clearly not lost on Japanese analysts on TV today.

They clearly see a DPRK-Sino split and a cozying up (to the best extent they can) with the former Soviet Union.

[AmericanInTokyo]

[TigerLikesRooster]

RE #9

Perhaps Russia can clear up a lot of misunderstanding by showing why they are sure it is a nuclear blast instead of insisting that it is so.

Russia has alway play down whatever provocation N. Korea created. This time, it did the exact opposite, even when China was not sure. This really raises some suspicion.

Coupled with horizontal shaft design being originally Russian, it raises a lot of speculation.

Personally, I would not be surprised if Russia helped out test site design. As for mini-nukes, I am not so sure if that is really the case.

By the way, I wonder how soon you turn up. Longer than I thought.:) You must have been sleeping. You need to recruit RusIvan2 as a backup.:)

[LibLieSlayer]

NO Gamma burst detected by staellite or aircraft, no radiation detected anywhere in the area... no nuke exploded in n korea.

LLS

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #14

Does that mean that this test is a con-job by N. Korea with Russia as its engineering consultant and PR rep ?

That is, set off conventional explosion and somehow use tunnel design to create garbled P-wave which could pass as evidence of a nuke test?

[familyop]

"On the other hand, we have no report of radioactive isotopes from the blast and satellites still failed to spot a new crater-like depression formed after the underground test."

...after a test in a horizontal tunnel that was 6,000 feet under ground?

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #16

The crater could be shallow, but visible. At least wouldn't the height of (hill or mountain) change by a few meters.

By the way, are you sure that it was 6000 feet underground? That is 1,800 meters, which is really deep. The tunnel cannot be horizontal. The hill is merely 1,200 feet high.

[LibLieSlayer]

Either that... or their nukes are just as good as their taepo dong doodle.

LLS

[RusIvan]

By the way, I wonder how soon you turn up. Longer than I thought.:) You must have been sleeping. You need to recruit RusIvan2 as a backup.:)==

I live in Moscow. Moscow time now is 4:12PM.

it raises a lot of speculation.==

Lot of speculation indeed:)

[familyop]

"The crater could be shallow, but visible. At least wouldn't the height of (hill or mountain) change by a few meters.

By the way, are you sure that it was 6000 feet underground? That is 1,800 meters, which is really deep. The tunnel cannot be horizontal. The hill is merely 1,200 feet high."

Was the test done at the following mentioned location?

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N Korea's bomb 'would kill 200,000'

The Telegraph
By Sergey Soukhorukov in Pyongyang

"The Russians believe the test, if it happens, is likely to be carried out in a horizontal tunnel more than a mile below ground at Kilju, in North Hamgyon province, in the north-east of the country where US military satellites have detected recent activity."

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Some commenters have also mentioned gamma ray detection efforts. Even initial rays would not be detectable through that much earth. With enough horizontal airspace (to spread out the settling effect in a tunnel) and so much earth above the shot, I doubt that a surface crater would be visible.