Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yaya]

SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has detected an "artificial earthquake" in North Korea, suggesting the communist state went ahead with its threat to conduct a nuclear test, the presidential office and government officials said Monday.

"An artifical earthquake was detected at 9:54 this morning near Poongkye-ri in North Hamkyong Province," Lee Dong-kwan, a spokesman for the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, told reporters.

President Lee Myung-bak has called for an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, the spokesman said, noting Poongkye-ri was the site of North Korea's first-ever nuclear test that took place in 2002.

"The government is still trying to verify whether it in fact was a nuclear test, but it believes there is a possibility," the spokesman said.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2009/05/25/98/0301000000AEN20090525004600315F.HTML

[nuthatch]

yes, according to Reuters via The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/world/asia/25nuke.html?_r=1&hp

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/05/24/world/international-korea-north-test.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print

May 24, 2009
North Korea Claims to Conduct 2nd Nuclear Test
By REUTERS
Filed at 11:10 p.m. ET

SEOUL, May 25 (Reuters) - North Korea said it had successfully conducted a nuclear test on Monday, raising the explosive power and level of control of its nuclear device to a new level, its state media said.

"We have successfully conducted another nuclear test on May 25 as part of the republic's measures to strengthen its nuclear deterrent," the North's official KCNA news agency said.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency also quoted a ruling party official as saying that a test was conducted.

YTN Television quoted the South Korean weather agency as saying it detected a tremor indicating a test at 0054 GMT.

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

North Korea had recently said it would again test a nuclear device -- its first was in October 2006 -- in reaction to tightened international sanctions after it fired a long-range rocket in April.

News of the test hit South Korean financial markets, sending the main KOSPI share index down four percent in late morning trade, while the won dropped more than 1 percent against the dollar.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Now would be a good time to test it, with so much SK news attention on Noh.

[afsjesse]

I'm curious as to what the international community will do this time. There's really no other types of sanctions to put on them domestically or internationally. Save maybe the banning of kimchi exports....

[The Grumpy Senator]

The International community should do what a parent does when their child throws a temper-tantrum; ignore them. North Korea would not know what to do if there was no reaction from the UN. If they ask, the UN should respond that NK wants to be isolated and will be treated accordingly. It will never happen, but it would be nice.

The UN will issue a statement saying they "do not condone such a provacative action, blah, blah....." There will be threats of further sanctions, but China and Russia will block them. Round and round we go.....

[harlowethrombey]

I'm just worried that the historic level of competence the NORKs show in most of their endeavors might lead to some fallout drifting down here when they inevitably screw up one of their little hissy fits.

[Captain Corea]

[waynehead]

Here we go again...