North Korea claims nuclear test
POSTED: 3:27 a.m. EDT, October 9, 2006
SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea claimed it conducted a successful underground nuclear test Monday, according to the country's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
China, a close ally of North Korea, denounced the claimed test as "brazen" and South Korea said it would respond "sternly." The United States said a test would constitute a "provocative act."
The apparent nuclear test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. (1:36 a.m. GMT) in Hwaderi near Kilju city, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing defense officials.
South Korea's share market dropped almost 3 percent after the first reports of the apparent test before closing 2.4 percent lower. Japan's market was closed Monday for a public holiday (Full story).
Reports of the claimed test triggered global condemnation (Full story).
A spokesman for South Korea's President Roh Moo-hyun said Seoul would "sternly respond" and the Defense Ministry raised the military alert level.
"The field of scientific research in the DPRK (North Korea's official name) successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions on October 9 ... at a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation," KCNA reported.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow responded to the reports in a conference call with reporters.
"U.S. and South Korean intelligence detected a seismic event Sunday at a suspected nuclear test site. North Korea has claimed it conducted an underground nuclear test," Snow said.
"A North Korean nuclear test would constitute a provocative act in defiance of the will of the international community and of our call to refrain from actions that would aggravate tensions in northeast Asia," Snow added.
A senior U.S. official said China was given a 20-minute warning ahead of the test and in turn passed the information along to the United States, Japan and South Korea.
A U.S. military official told CNN that "something clearly has happened," but the Pentagon was working to fully confirm the report.
Other senior U.S. officials said they also believed the test took place, citing seismic data that appears to show one.
Senior U.S. officials said the United States is consulting with allies around the world and would push for sanctions Monday at a 9:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. GMT) meeting of the U.N. Security Council in New York.
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I don't know if it's true, but if it is then it's bad for the region. Not sure if sanctions would do much. Japan may produce nuclear weapons too.