South Korean President Park Geun-hye headed a National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Wednesday (January 6) in Seoul, after North Korea said it had successfully tested a hydrogen nuclear device.
“So now, our government has to take decisive measures against any additional provocations by North Korea and work with the international community to make sure the isolated country pays the price for its latest nuclear test,” Park said during the meeting.
“This nuclear test is the fourth of its kind and needs further analysis, which North Korea claims as a successful one of a hydrogen nuclear device. It is possible to tip the security balance in Northeast Asia and change the fundamental nature of the situation over North Korea’s nuclear programme,” Park added.
The secretive North, already under heavy U.N., EU and U.S. sanctions for its missile and nuclear tests, said earlier on Wednesday that it had successfully tested a hydrogen nuclear bomb.
Separately, South Korea’s Yonhap News agency reported that Seoul’s intelligence agency believed the strength of the explosion from North Korea’s latest nuclear test was equivalent to 6.0 kilotonnes.
North Korea had previously conducted three nuclear tests – in 2006, 2009 and 2013 – all at Punggye-ri, near the location of a 5.1 magnitude earthquake detected on Wednesday. (Reuters)
