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Kim Jong Il Reportedly Calls for Third Nuclear Test Saturday , September 12, 2009 North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, during his most recent meeting with party and military leaders, reportedly gave instructions that the reclusive regime prepare for a third nuclear test, this time using enriched uranium, according to reports from Free Radio of North Korea, based in South Korea. Kim "emphasized the importance of improvement of nuclear technologies with the aim of attracting the U.S. to direct bilateral talks," according to the radio station's source. The meeting during which this order was reportedly given took place on Aug....

US nuclear gurus see signs of more Indian nuclear tests Chidanand Rajghatta, TNN 28 August 2009, 05:24am IST WASHINGTON: US nuclear pundits feel the Indian establishment -- political, scientific, or both in concert – may be lining up to conduct more nuclear tests to validate and improve the country’s arsenal before the Obama administration shuts the door on nuclear explosions. ''You bet he wants to test again,'' said Henry Sokolski, Executive Director of the Washington DC-based Nonproliferation Policy Education Center, when asked about the remarks from a key Indian nuclear scientist suggesting India’s thermonuclear test was not up to mark....

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has determined that the nuclear test conducted by North Korea last month yielded an explosion of a few kilotons, the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence said on Monday. "The U.S. intelligence community assesses that North Korea probably conducted an underground nuclear explosion in the vicinity of Punggye on May 25, 2009," the office said in a statement. "The explosion yield was approximately a few kilotons." North Korea's first nuclear test, in 2006, was about one kiloton. Shortly after this year's blast, Russia said it estimated the explosion at about 20 kilotons,...

Spies beef up surveillance of 11 sites for nuke test June 15, 2009 South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials have ratcheted up their monitoring of 11 underground facilities in North Korea after reports of a third possible North Korean nuclear test, sources told the JoongAng Ilbo. An intelligence source said the test would be in response to the recent United Nations Security Council’s resolution that condemns the North’s second nuclear test on May 25 and imposes tough sanctions on Pyongyang. According to the source, South Korea and the United States are using KH-12 spy satellites to monitor vehicle movements. They’re...

SKorea braces for 3rd nuclear test by North Korea By KWANG-TAE KIM, Associated Press Writer Fri Jun 12, 3:52 am ET SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea was bracing for a possible third nuclear test by the North, which a U.S. official said was likely despite looming U.N. sanctions on the communist state for its previous test in May. Given the North's track record of provocative behavior and defiance of the United Nations, "common sense" would dictate that it is preparing for another nuclear test, South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae told reporters Friday. He said the test was...

Was N. Korea`s 2nd Nuke Test Faked? JUNE 04, 2009 08:20 Suspicion is rising over whether North Korea really conducted a nuclear test last week since no krypton-85, a radioactive material produced after an atomic detonation, has been detected. Radioactive materials not found in nature such as krypton-85 and xenon-135 are released after a nuclear test. Krypton-85 remains in the air for several decades and thus presents clear evidence of a nuclear test. In October 2006, a U.S. WC-135 scout plane detected radioactive materials over the East Sea a couple of days after the North conducted its first nuclear test....

A Nuclear Asia From End To End Gordon G. Chang, 05.29.09, 12:01 AM ET On Tuesday, Chosun Ilbo, South Korea's most widely read newspaper, urged Seoul to build its own long-range missiles and atomic bombs. "North Korea claims its rationale for having nuclear weapons is to defend itself," the broadsheet editorialized. "South Korea too now requires a deterrent." To build that deterrent, the South will first have to abrogate two global agreements, the Missile Technology Control Regime and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. For years, these pacts, which prevented the dissemination of dangerous technologies, looked solid. Now,...

(LEAD) (Yonhap Interview) N. Korean nuclear test to trigger unprecedented response: Cohen By Sam Kim SINGAPORE, May 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea made a "big miscalculation" by going ahead with its second nuclear test and should expect an unprecedented response from the international community, a former U.S. defense minister said Friday. North Korea set off an underground nuclear explosion in its northeastern region on Monday despite a slew of international warnings

China's Anger at North Korea Test Signals Shift By JAY SOLOMON in Washington and IAN JOHNSON and GORDON FAIRCLOUGH in Beijing North Korea's nuclear test this week has deeply angered China, a mood shift signaled in statements showing that influential Chinese thinkers are coming to see Kim Jong Il's regime as a liability. The change in attitude doesn't indicate China will support punishment that could threaten the stability of its neighbor. China appears ready to support modest sanctions at the United Nations Security Council, along the lines of the restrictions on North Korean companies it has supported in the past....

(LEAD) Chinese ships shunning waters near Korea amid tensions SEOUL, May 29 (Yonhap) -- Chinese fishing vessels are leaving the Yellow Sea, where tensions between the two Koreas have escalated after Pyongyang's threats of military clash, a defense source here said Friday. "Chinese fishing ships operating near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) began withdrawing yesterday," the source said, adding the military authorities are trying to find out whether North Korea asked them to do so. More than 280 Chinese vessels were fishing near the NLL for crab earlier this week but the number has dropped to about 140, according to...

US should consider military options against N Korea: Perry Thu May 28, 1:28 pm ET WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States should consider a range of coercive measures against North Korea, including possible military action, for diplomacy to have a chance of success, former US defense secretary William Perry said Thursday. Perry emphasized that he was not recommending military action against North Korea now but said the United States should at least consider escalating to military action if other lesser coercive measures prove ineffective. "We could have stopped this last nuclear test if we had chosen to do so. We...

N. Korean nuclear blast probably less powerful than hoped for: Yale scholar By Sam Kim SEOUL, May 28 (Yonhap) -- North Korea apparently failed to achieve desired explosiveness in its second nuclear test, a Yale University professor says, citing seismic readings that have been generated by it. North Korea set off an underground nuclear explosion on Monday, creating a shock that registered 4.52 in magnitude on the Richter scale, according to a Vienna-based anti-nuclear weapons organization. North Korea produced a magnitude of 4.1 in its first test in October 2006, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty says. Jefferey Park, director of the...

(2nd LD) S. Korea joins PSI after N. Korea's nuke test By Lee Chi-dong SEOUL, May 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Tuesday declared full participation in the U.S.-led campaign aimed at curbing the spread of the weapons of mass destruction and related materials, a day after North Korea conducted its second nuclear test. South Korea made the decision to join the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) following the North's April 5 rocket launch, but it had delayed a formal announcement in consideration of its efforts to resume dialogue with the communist neighbor. Government officials said there was no reason to...

President Barack Obama hit the golf course after marking his first Memorial Day as commander in chief. The president's motorcade took him to Fort Belvoir in Virginia. That's where he went for a game of golf more than a week ago. Obama grabbed his clubs after he participated in Memorial Day observances at Arlington National Cemetery

(News Focus) N. Korea moving fast in timetable of provocative steps By Lee Chi-dong SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's second nuclear test came as no surprise to South Korean officials on Monday, but they said the unpredictable communist nation pulled out its trump card earlier than expected. "North Korea seems to want a speedy game," a senior South Korean government official handling the nuclear issue said. "It seems to be seeking to create a condition favorable to itself as early as possible, rather than dragging its feet." The North, infuriated by the U.N. Security Council's condemnation of its...

Russia confirms North Korea's nuclear test - Summary Posted on : 2009-05-25 | Author : DPA News Category : Europe Moscow - Russia's Defence Ministry on Monday confirmed that North Korea had conducted a subterranean nuclear test. The nuclear explosion had a strength of between 10 and 20 kilotons, Defence Ministry spokesman Alexander Drobyshevsky said, according to the Interfax news agency. The detonation was registered in an area some 80 kilometres north- west of the city of Kilchu. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was in Lebanon on Monday expressed concern over the developments.

N. Korea couples nuclear blast with missile launch: source By Sam Kim SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to have test-fired a short-range missile Monday on its east coast after it conducted its second nuclear test, a South Korean source said. The missile, with an estimated range of 130 kilometers, was fired from the coastal site where North Korea launched its long-range rocket on April 5, the source said. The latest launch comes as tension peaks on the Korean Peninsula after North Korea claimed it succeeded in detonating a more powerful nuclear device in its northeastern region. "The...

N. Korea's 2nd nuke test occurred few kilometers from previous test site: weather agency SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's second nuclear test on Monday appeared to have taken place 10-15 km away from the site of the first test in the country's northeast, Seoul's weather agency said. Pyongyang's state media confirmed the country has "successfully" conducted the underground nuclear test but did not say where it took place. The Seoul-based Korea Meteorological Administration said it detected seismic waves from the nuclear test 10 to 15 km away from the 2006 test site around the town of Kilju, North...

<p>This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.</p>

Second nuke test by N. Korea would lead to 'consequences': Bosworth By Lee Chi-dong SEOUL, May 8 (Yonhap) -- The senior U.S. nuclear envoy on Friday dismissed North Korea's recent claim that the Obama administration is hostile towards Pyongyang, saying Washington is continuing efforts for bilateral and multilateral dialogue with the communist nation, On a trip here highlighted by the North's renewed threats to bolster its nuclear arsenal, Stephen Bosworth made clear that if North Korea puts its threats into action, it will face "consequences." "If the North Koreans decide to carry out a second nuclear test, we will deal...

Activity at N.Korean Test Sites Intensifies North Korea has been speeding up construction of a new long-range missile test site in Tongchangri, North Pyongan Province. And vehicles and personnel are busily moving around in Kilju, North Hamgyong Province, where the North conducted an underground nuclear test in 2006, showing signs of preparations for another. "The North has recently been speeding up construction at the test site in Tongchangri by deploying more equipment and personnel," a South Korean government official said Wednesday. "We expected the North would complete construction sometime late this year, but it now seems that it could be...

SEOUL (AFP) – North Korea on Wednesday threatened to conduct a second nuclear test unless the United Nations apologises for condemning its rocket launch, sharply raising the stakes in the dispute over its weapons programmes. Unless the Security Council apologises immediately, the North vowed to take what it called additional defensive measures. "The measures will include nuclear tests and test-firings of intercontinental ballistic missiles," its foreign ministry said in a statement on official media. The announcement further raised regional tensions following the North's April 5 launch of a long-range rocket. Pyongyang said it put a peaceful satellite into orbit while...

/begin my excerpts Choson Sinbo: Hints at N. Korean Nuclear Test Points out the 2006 nuclear test was done three months after the Security Council Resolution (Seoul= Yonhap News) Kim Doo-hwan = Choson Sinbo, the newspaper for pro-North Korean group in Japan, which is an unofficial mouthpiece of N. Korea to the outside world hinted on Apr. 24 that N. Korea could carry out nuclear test in response to the (recent) Security Council Resolution condemning N. Korea's rocket launch. The paper also reminded Barak Obama administration of U.S., "If it does not want to repeat the mistake of pushing us...

Coming Soon: Deal With North Korea ... or 2nd Nuclear Test? Officials See Signs of Upcoming Nuclear Test, Other Odd Moves -- but Also of Nuke Deal By JONATHAN KARL and KIRIT RADIA Oct. 9, 2008 — Amid indications the United States is on the verge of a major agreement with North Korea that would take the Asian nation off a list of state sponsors of terror, U.S. intelligence has picked up signs that North Korea may be preparing for another nuclear test, sources say. Satellite imagery over the past two weeks has picked up suspicious activity at a suspected...

/begin my translation N. Korea: Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site Being Restored Smoke detected at various locations around the nuclear test site There are indications that N. Korea is restoring the nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, Kilju, where they conducted the test two years ago, prompting intelligence authorities to pay close watch on the development. A government source said on Oct. 1, "We recently detected smoke coming out of various locations around Punggye-ri nuclear test site. We are closely monitoring to determine if N. Korea is trying to restore the test site." He said, "Specifically, we suspect that the smoke we...

Pro-N. Korea paper: Nuclear tension could spike By JAE-SOON CHANG, Associated Press Writer Wednesday, August 27, 2008 (08-27) 05:21 PDT SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea's threat to restore its nuclear facilities should not be seen as "empty talk" and the standoff could develop into a crisis similar to the country's first atomic test, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper said Wednesday.

â—† N. Korea says used 2 kg of plutonium in 2006 nuke test: source SEOUL, June 28 KYODO North Korea's declaration of its nuclear programs that it submitted this week states that it extracted a total of around 30 kilograms of plutonium and used 2 kg in the nuclear test it conducted in October 2006, a six-party talks source said Saturday. A nuclear weapon normally requires between 4 and 8 kg of plutonium. There is speculation that North Korea may have declared a smaller quantity to counter rumors that the 2006 nuclear test, which resulted in a relatively small explosion,...

N. Korea marks nuclear test anniversary By JAE-SOON CHANG, Associated Press Writer 11 minutes ago North Korea marked the first anniversary of its nuclear test on Tuesday, with leader Kim Jong Il getting praise for pulling off a "truly great miracle" that sent the reclusive communist country "soaring as a powerful and great" nation. The Oct. 9, 2006, test marked a peak in international concern over the country's nuclear status and prompted the U.S. to soften its policy toward North Korea, paving the way for steps toward a goal of dismantling the Asian country's program. The North's main Rodong Sinmun...

North Korea Prepping Nuclear Weapons Test Defense Officials Tell ABC News 'They've Put Everything in Place' By JONATHAN KARL WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2007 — - North Korea appears to have made preparations for another nuclear test, according to U.S. defense officials. "We think they've put everything in place to conduct a test without any notice or warning," a senior U.S. defense official told ABC News. The official cautions that the intelligence is inconclusive as to whether North Korea will actually go ahead with another test but said the preparations are similar to the steps taken by Pyongyang before it shocked...

/begin my translation N. Korea: Another Nuclear Test Likely in Late Dec. or Early Next Year (SK opposition lawmaker) Kim Jong-il's internal directive, "Act Confidently at 6-party talks as a nuclear power." [2006-11-29 11:34 ] There are reportedly indications that N. Korea would go for another nuclear test in late December or early next year. Chung Hyung-geun, an opposition lawmaker at Intelligence Committee of National Assembly, maintained on Nov. 29, "Various indications have been picked up which show that, if U.S. does not agree to lift economic sanctions, including unfreezing of (N. Korean) accounts at Banco Delta Asia, N. Korea...

North Korea is expected to conduct a second nuclear weapons test, said General B. B. Bell, head of US forces in South Korea. 'I think we can expect further tests as part of its program to develop very provocative weapons,' Bell told a press conference.

N. Korea beefs up counterintelligence following nuclear test SHENYANG, China, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has toughened surveillance of locals suspected of gathering information about its atomic and military activities in the wake of its Oct. 9 atomic bomb test, an informed source said Sunday. The Ministry of People's Security, Pyongyang's top police agency, issued a directive to its security agencies on Oct. 15 that they should closely monitor and report suspicious activities, the source said. Those subject to stronger surveillance include former North Korean defectors, former convicts, smugglers, merchants and those who have relatives in China, the source...

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U.S. to Take Separate Sanctions Against N.Korea U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday the U.S. will take its own sanctions against North Korea independent of the UN Security Council resolution condemning the North’s nuclear test. Speaking at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, Rice stressed that the implementation of the U.N. resolution is a responsibility of all U.N. member countries. But she added, “As for our part, the United States is now obligated to adopt additional sanctions on North Korea under national legislation.” This includes the Glenn Amendment to the Arms Export Control Act initiated by Senator John Glenn...

Motel Bookings, Condom Sales Surge Post Nuke Test As tends to be the case in disasters and crises, sales of condoms and reservations at motels surged in the wake of North Korea’s nuclear test on Oct. 9. One online hotel reservations site reports that everything is completely booked up through the end of the month in what it calls an “exceptional” flood of guests. If there is apathy about security among Koreans, there is also a silent terror seeking release in sex. On Oct. 9-15, the average daily sales of condoms across all Family Mart convenience stores was 1,930, a...

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Condom sales and pay-by-the-hour "love motel" bookings surged across South Korea in the aftermath of North Korea's nuclear test, the country's top newspaper reported Thursday. South Koreans are used to living in the shadow of war, and life has continued as normal in the capital, Seoul, in the wake of the Oct. 9 test. But figures published by the mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo newspaper Thursday suggest that despite their apparently blase reaction to the North's nuclear bluster, many South Koreans may be seeking solace in sex. Condom sales at a leading chain of convenience stores rose...

North Korea tell South sanctions could mean war SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) -- North Korea warned South Korea on Wednesday against joining U.S.-led sanctions against Pyongyang and said it would take action after any such move by Seoul. South Korea's participation in sanctions would be seen as a serious provocation leading to a "crisis of war" on the Korean peninsula, a North Korean spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency. The North issued a similar warning in September shortly before it conducted a nuclear test,...

Reports of N.Korea apology inaccurate -China Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:41 AM BST BEIJING (Reuters) - Reports that North Korea had apologised for conducting a nuclear test were "inaccurate", China said on Tuesday, adding there was no guarantee the reclusive state would not test again. The remarks from Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao were China's first official reaction to media reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il told a visiting Chinese envoy that Pyongyang regretted the difficulties its October 9 nuclear test had caused its neighbour and did not plan another test. "These reports are inaccurate. I haven't heard of...

China's Reaction: Tightening the Screws Would Beijing dump Kim? It's certainly not likely, but ... By Melinda Liu Newsweek International Oct. 30, 2006 issue - Once upon a time Beijing officials and scholars would have scoffed at the idea of effecting Chinese-style regime change in Pyongyang. But in the wake of Kim's nuke test, an unprecedented debate has broken out over Beijing's North Korea policies. Last Friday four major Chinese banks stopped making financial transfers to North Korea—a tactic that could quickly pinch a weak economy that relies on China as a link to the international financial system. And this...

Rice says N.Korea trying to escalate nuclear crisis By Sue Pleming 1 hour, 30 minutes ago U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cast doubt on reports that North Korea had pledged not to stage another nuclear test, saying on Saturday it seemed instead bent on escalating the crisis. News reports had raised hopes that tension was easing on Friday by saying North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had told China's special envoy Tang Jiaxuan this week he planned no further nuclear tests. But Rice met Tang in Beijing on Friday and later told reporters traveling on to Moscow with her: "Tang...

Rice plays down Kim's test 'pledge'From correspondents in Moscow October 21, 2006 07:07pm US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has cast doubt on a reported apology by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il for carrying out a nuclear test and a pledge not to carry out more. "I don't know whether or not Kim Jong-Il said any such thing," Dr Rice has said on a flight from Beijing to Moscow, where she is continuing her talks with nations involved in the stalled six-way talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program. "But the Chinese, in a fairly thorough briefing about the talks, said nothing...

N. Korea's vice FM doesn't rule out possible 2nd nuke test: ABC News NEW YORK, Oct. 20 KYODO North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan did not rule out the possibility of his country performing a second nuclear test, ABC News reported Friday. In an interview with the U.S. television network in Pyongyang on Friday, Kim was quoted as saying, ''I think you can closely watch what happens.'' Kim is North Korea's chief negotiator at the six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program. When ABC's anchor said, ''I don't think that's an answer,'' Kim replied, ''I think that's a good...

N. Korea Staged a Mass Rally Celebrating Nuclear Test On Oct. 20, 11 days after their nuclear test, N. Korea staged a mass rally in Pyongyang celebrating the test. To view the video, click on the picture below(1min 37 sec long; intro runs for about 20 sec).

China May Press North Koreans Stephen Shaver/Bloomberg NewsEmpty Chinese trucks waited Thursday to enter North Korea, while North Korean trucks filled with iron ore made their way into northern China. By JOSEPH KAHN Published: October 20, 2006 BEIJING, Oct. 19 -- China is prepared to step up pressure on North Korea in coming weeks by reducing oil shipments, among other measures, if the country refuses to return to negotiations or conducts more nuclear tests, Chinese government advisers and scholars who have discussed the matter with the leadership say. If Beijing does take a tougher line on its neighbor and longtime...

This is the news clip from YTN, S. Korea's cable news channel. Except the intro and the end, the rest shows the torch rally, a defacto celebration of their nuclear test, even though it is officially celebrating the anniversary of the establishment of the anti-Imperialist Union. Click Here for Video

China stepped up its diplomatic efforts with North Korea on Thursday, sending a personal message and a gift from the Chinese president to the North's leader Kim Jong Il as Washington appealed for cooperation by Asian powers on U.N. sanctions for Pyongyang's nuclear test. The trip by State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan was the highest-level Chinese visit to its isolated ally since its Oct. 9 atomic test. The visit came as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stopped in South Korea and Japan as part of a tour of Asia to solidify support for the U.N. sanctions amid reports of a possible...

Dear Readers, I thought I would share the following letter I received from Squid who is now living in North Korea and calling himself "Jimmy Jong-il:" October 14, 2006 Democratic Peoples Republic Of Korea (DPRK) Dear Imperialist Lackey Moonbeam, I just wanted to send this letter to tell you I'm well. Actually not just well, but flourishing in this worker's paradise! The progressiveness our Dear Leader Kim Jong-il has brought to this utopia is simply awe-inspiring. It's everything we have worked toward in the U.S. but have failed to accomplish. In this country there are no divisions between people as...

North Korea has informed China that it is prepared to conduct "as many as three additional tests" following the first nuclear experiment Oct. 9, CNN television reported Wednesday. Quoting U.S. intelligence analysts and officials, CNN and Fox News said U.S. spy satellites have detected activities which could be preparations for nuclear explosion tests at three North Korean sites. CNN also said that latest U.S. intelligence show that North Korea's missile sites remain at a "very high state of readiness," and Pyongyang could use them "in the next several days." On Tuesday, NBC News reported that the North Korean military has...

Within a day of North Korea's underground nuclear test,a "string" of earthquakes began: Japan,Hawaii,New Guinea/New Zealand,Kuril Islands. Is this mere coincidence, or did the test "trigger" an unexpected tectonic reaction ?

Full Text: North Korea statement The following is the full text of a statement released by the foreign ministry of North Korea, which calls itself the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK): On 14 October, the United States instigated the UN Security Council to unjustly find fault with our self-defensive nuclear test as a threat to international peace and safety, and once again passed the vicious resolution on sanctions and blockade against the Republic. Our successful nuclear test is a positive defensive countermeasure to defend our country's sovereignty and the people's life and safety so as to cope with the...