1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Nuclear Tests and Counting

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 NUCLEAR TESTS 

AND COUNTING

 

North Korea’s test site at Punggye-ri and the upward evolution of her nuclear tests’ magnitude tremor.

in BBC News at www.bbc.com/news

And here we go again. On 9^th September, North Korea conducted her 5^th nuclear test. The previous ones took place in 2006, 2009, 2013 and in January 2016. Yes, you read well, it has already been 5 tests.

Not surprisingly, preliminary seismic readings point to a 5.3 magnitude tremor on Richter’s scale and the most powerful nuclear blast by the North Koreans yet. The explosive yield is gauged to be anywhere between 10 and 30 kilotons.

Also to be expected were the international reactions:

South Korea accused Kim Jong-un of maniacal recklessness and added that such provocation will further accelerate its path to self-destruction.

The United States, through UN Ambassador Samantha Power stated: We will take additional significant steps, including new sanctions to demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to its unlawful and dangerous actions.

China declared she would lodge a diplomatic protest and urged North Korea to avoid further action that would worsen the situation.

Russia said: We insist that the North Korean side stop its dangerous escapades and unconditionally implement all resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

Japan stated: North Korea is an outlaw nation in the neighbourhood.

Here we have two sets of events playing out. One is the drama of shocked statements by several powers that have been pronouncing similar statements over the past 10 years and whose practical results have come to naught.

The other is the relentless North Korean drive to master the technology to build deployable nuclear warheads and the missiles to carry them to the enemy. This has been going on for three decades and it is no less dramatic but it is also very real.

As we have stated before in Tempos Interessantes (Threat or Bluff at http://tempos-interessantes.blogspot.pt/2016/01/threat-or-bluff.html ), North Korea’s nuclear quest is not going to stop, since it is a matter of life or death for the regime in Pyongyang and Kim Jong Un is not going to ditch what he considers to be his life insurance policy because of some incensed declarations and condemnations by the great powers at the UN. He knows better than that.