BEIJING
A shallow
3.5-magnitude earthquake hit North Korea near the country’s nuclear test
site Saturday, US seismologists said, in what China’s seismic service
said was a “suspected explosion”, but Seoul deemed it a “natural
earthquake”.
3.5-magnitude earthquake hit North Korea near the country’s nuclear test
site Saturday, US seismologists said, in what China’s seismic service
said was a “suspected explosion”, but Seoul deemed it a “natural
earthquake”.
The earthquake came after days of
increasingly bellicose rhetoric between US President Donald Trump and
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s regime over Pyongyang’s nuclear
ambitions raised international alarm.
increasingly bellicose rhetoric between US President Donald Trump and
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s regime over Pyongyang’s nuclear
ambitions raised international alarm.
HYDROGEN BOMB
The
United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck around 20
kilometres (12 miles) away from the North’s nuclear test site, where
earlier this month it detonated its sixth and largest device, which it
claimed to be a hydrogen bomb capable of being launched onto a missile.
United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck around 20
kilometres (12 miles) away from the North’s nuclear test site, where
earlier this month it detonated its sixth and largest device, which it
claimed to be a hydrogen bomb capable of being launched onto a missile.
“This
event occurred in the area of the previous North Korean Nuclear tests.
We cannot conclusively confirm at this time the nature (natural or
human-made) of the event.
event occurred in the area of the previous North Korean Nuclear tests.
We cannot conclusively confirm at this time the nature (natural or
human-made) of the event.
“The depth is poorly constrained and has been held to 5km by the seismologist,” USGS said in a statement.
TREMORS
Regional
experts differed on their analysis of the tremor, with China’s China
Earthquake Network Centre (CENC) service calling it a “suspected
explosion”, while Seoul’s Korea Meteorological Agency (KMA) judged it a
“natural quake”.
Regional
experts differed on their analysis of the tremor, with China’s China
Earthquake Network Centre (CENC) service calling it a “suspected
explosion”, while Seoul’s Korea Meteorological Agency (KMA) judged it a
“natural quake”.
“There is no possibility that this could be an artificial quake,” Yonhap news agency quoted a KMA official as saying.
The
North’s last test, on September 3, was the country’s most powerful
detonation, triggering a much stronger 6.3-magnitude quake that was felt
across the border in China.
North’s last test, on September 3, was the country’s most powerful
detonation, triggering a much stronger 6.3-magnitude quake that was felt
across the border in China.
A second tremor soon after that test was possibly caused by a “cave-in”, CENC said at the time.
ADMONISHED
The
move prompted global condemnation, leading the UN Security Council to
unanimously adopt new sanctions that include restrictions on oil
shipments.
The
move prompted global condemnation, leading the UN Security Council to
unanimously adopt new sanctions that include restrictions on oil
shipments.
This week marked a new level of acrimony in a
blistering war of words between Kim and Trump, with the US leader using
his maiden speech at the United Nations to warn that Washington would
“totally destroy” the North if the US or its allies were threatened.
blistering war of words between Kim and Trump, with the US leader using
his maiden speech at the United Nations to warn that Washington would
“totally destroy” the North if the US or its allies were threatened.
The
North, which says it needs nuclear weapons to protect itself against
the threat of invasion by a hostile US, responded on Friday with a rare
personal rebuke from Kim, who called Trump “mentally deranged” and a
“dotard” and threatened the “highest level of hard-line countermeasure
in history”.
North, which says it needs nuclear weapons to protect itself against
the threat of invasion by a hostile US, responded on Friday with a rare
personal rebuke from Kim, who called Trump “mentally deranged” and a
“dotard” and threatened the “highest level of hard-line countermeasure
in history”.
SANCTIONS
Washington
announced tougher restrictions Friday aimed at curbing North Korea’s
nuclear and ballistic missile programme, building on tough new United
Nations sanctions aimed at choking Pyongyang of cash.
Washington
announced tougher restrictions Friday aimed at curbing North Korea’s
nuclear and ballistic missile programme, building on tough new United
Nations sanctions aimed at choking Pyongyang of cash.
Russia and China have both appealed for an end to the escalating rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang.
But
on the fringes of the UN meeting this week, North Korean Foreign
Minister Ri Yong-ho upped the tensions further, telling reporters
Pyongyang might now consider detonating a hydrogen bomb outside its
territory.
on the fringes of the UN meeting this week, North Korean Foreign
Minister Ri Yong-ho upped the tensions further, telling reporters
Pyongyang might now consider detonating a hydrogen bomb outside its
territory.
BLAST
Monitoring groups
estimate that the nuclear test conducted in North Korea earlier this
month had a yield of 250 kilotons, which is16 times the size of the US
bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.
Monitoring groups
estimate that the nuclear test conducted in North Korea earlier this
month had a yield of 250 kilotons, which is16 times the size of the US
bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.
Hydrogen bombs,
or H-bombs, are thermonuclear weapons far more powerful than ordinary
fission-based atomic bombs, and use a nuclear blast to generate the
intense temperatures required for fusion to take place.
or H-bombs, are thermonuclear weapons far more powerful than ordinary
fission-based atomic bombs, and use a nuclear blast to generate the
intense temperatures required for fusion to take place.
