This is bad news:
SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea said Monday it had performed its first-ever nuclear weapons test, setting off an underground blast in defiance of international warnings and intense diplomatic activity aimed at heading off such a move.
The North Korean statement said there was no radioactive leakage from the test site.
An official at South Korea’s seismic monitoring center confirmed a magnitude-3.6 tremor felt at the time North Korea said it conducted the test was not a natural occurrence. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition his name not be used, because he was not authorized to talk about the sensitive information to the media.
Australia also said there was seismic confirmation that North Korea conducted a nuclear test.
Kim Jung-Il has been claiming North Korea had nuclear weapons for a while now, but when it comes to nuclear weapons, you’re not for real until you set one off. The final analysis isn’t in yet, but it looks like this is for real.
Of course, joining the nuclear club has a downside. If the U.S. didn’t have plans to nuke North Korea till it glows before, they’re gonna start making them now.
Update: According to an AP wire report, South Korean analysis indicates the test happened at 8:36 pm CDT. The ground shock from the blast has now reached seismic sensors in the United States. With numerous other seismic detections near the Korean peninsula, sketchy reports say that early analysis shows it was a small nuclear blast, possible indicating a “fizzle.”
North Korea is claiming no leaks from the test site. Such leaks are not generally dangerous, but analysis of their composition would give experts in other countries a better idea of how well the bomb worked.
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