South Korean officials detected an "artificial earthquake" in North Korea early Monday, suggesting the northern neighbor likely conducted a nuclear test, according to a report by Yonhap News.
http://www.marketwatch.com/...
US Geological Survey detects of 4.7 magnitude quake in North Korea.
Trading on the South Korean stock market has been temporarily halted. It was down 4% immediately after the announcement.
This is the extent of the reporting so far... I will look to add information as it becomes available. I'm looking for the official White House reaction and will update when I find it.
Update [2009-5-24 23:26:38 by D Wreck]: North Korea confirms the report:
http://www.google.com/...
http://www.google.com/...
Update [2009-5-24 23:26:38 by D Wreck]: This looks to fulfill the threat North Korea raised April 29, 2009:
North Korea threatened to conduct a nuclear test and more ballistic missile tests if the U.N. Security Council doesn't withdraw its condemnation of Pyongyang's rocket launch earlier this month, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
The U.N. Security Council "should promptly make an apology for having infringed the sovereignty of [North Korea] and withdraw all its unreasonable and discriminative 'resolutions' and decisions adopted against [North Korea]," a spokesman for the North's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"The measures will include nuclear tests and test-firings of intercontinental ballistic missiles," the unidentified spokesman said.
http://edition.cnn.com/...
Update [2009-5-24 23:26:38 by D Wreck]: Via link from Plutonium Page on Twitter, US intelligence saw activity in NK that pointed to this not being an idle threat:
Satellite images suggest that North Korea intends to follow through on its vow to resume plutonium reprocessing at the Yongbyon nuclear complex, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, May 7).
The U.S. pictures show trucks moving near the reprocessing plant, a source told the Yonhap News Agency. "However, our krypton detector has not shown any signs that North Korea has restarted reprocessing," the source added (Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, May 13).
http://gsn.nti.org/...
Update [2009-5-24 23:49:25 by D Wreck]: h/t sc kitty North Korea threatens more tests in the wake of this one, with two US journalist still imprisoned in North Korea:
North Korea recently threatened to conduct a second nuclear test, citing what it called Washington’s "hostilities" against the isolated Communist regime.
The test came against a backdrop of heightened tensions between North Korea and the United States, which keeps a heavy military deployment in South Korea and remains technically at war with the north 56 years after an armistice that halted the Korean War. Two American journalists are due to be tried June 4 in North Korea, charged with illegal entry into the North and "hostile acts." That case in particular has aggravated tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, which were already strained after the North launched a long-range rocket on April 5.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
Update [2009-5-25 0:8:19 by D Wreck]: Quick analysis piece from Reuters. I've highlighted a major point:
A second nuclear test depletes the North's meager supply of fissile material, which experts say is estimated to be enough for six to eight nuclear weapons.
http://www.reuters.com/...
Update [2009-5-25 0:29:46 by D Wreck]: Japan calls for an emergency session of the UN Security Council
http://www.reuters.com/...
Update [2009-5-25 0:50:11 by D Wreck]: The State Department weighs in with non-comment:
"We are aware of the reports of a nuclear test by North Korea," a State Department official said, requesting anonymity. "We are consulting with our allies. Once we have established the facts, we will have more to say. At this point, I do not have a timeline as to when there will be more to say."
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/...
Update [2009-5-25 0:50:11 by D Wreck]: Official report from North Korea:
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea successfully conducted one more underground nuclear test on May 25 as part of the measures to bolster up its nuclear deterrent for self-defence in every way as requested by its scientists and technicians.
The current nuclear test was safely conducted on a new higher level in terms of its explosive power and technology of its control and the results of the test helped satisfactorily settle the scientific and technological problems arising in further increasing the power of nuclear weapons and steadily developing nuclear technology.
The successful nuclear test is greatly inspiring the army and people of the DPRK all out in the 150-day campaign, intensifying the drive for effecting a new revolutionary surge to open the gate to a thriving nation.
The test will contribute to defending the sovereignty of the country and the nation and socialism and ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the region around it with the might of Songun.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/...
Update [2009-5-25 0:50:11 by D Wreck]: CNN provides timeline of North Korea nuclear program from 1993 to present:
http://edition.cnn.com/...