DPRK conducts fifth nuclear test, defies international objection

World Today

DPRK Nuclear Test

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has confirmed that it successfully conducted its fifth nuclear test on Friday, straining the nerves of neighboring countries.

The test caused a 5.0-magnitude quake, with an epicenter at zero kilometer depth, in Punggye-ri, northeastern Korean Peninsula, a place believed to be DPRK’s nuclear test site.

Across the border, South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn has swiftly gathered the National Security Council (NSC) to come up with prompt countermeasures. The emergency meeting was ordered by President Park Geun-hye, who has cut short her visit to Laos, a South Korean official told Yonhap News Agency.

CCTV America’s Jessica Stone has the international reaction.

China’s National Nuclear Safety Administration has issued an alert in three of its northeastern provinces and east Shandong Province after detecting nuclear radiation level near the DPRK border.

China firmly opposes Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear test and urges DPRK to halt any move that could aggravate the Korean Peninsula situation, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday.

Hua Chunying, the spokesperson, made the statement at a press briefing when commenting on DPRK’s fifth nuclear test on Friday.

“Despite universal opposition from the international community, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted its fifth nuclear test. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has issued a statement and expressed the Chinese government’s stance of firm opposition. Realizing denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, preventing nuclear proliferation, and safeguarding peace and stability in Northeast Asia have always been China’s firm stance. We strongly urge the DPRK side to honor the commitment to denuclearization, abide by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and halt any move that could aggravate the situation,” Hua said.

“Since the beginning of this year, there have been ups and downs in the Korean Peninsula situation, which seriously damaged regional peace and stability and went against the international community’s expectation. Facts have repeatedly proved that security concerns of parties involved in the peninsula situation should and could only be solved in the way which serves every party’s interests. Any unilateral actions that start from one’s own interest will become dead ends, could only aggravate tension and complicate the issue. In the end, such actions will not only fail to solve one’s own security concerns but also make relevant goals harder to reach,” Hua said.

The spokesperson said China will remain committed to solving the Korean Peninsula issue through dialogue and consultation.

“China strongly urges relevant parties to focus on the overall interests, be discreet in words and deeds, avoid actions that will provoke each other, and work together to promote progress in achieving denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to make real efforts to realize the peninsula’s peace and stability. China will continue to remain committed to solving the relevant issues of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and consultation and within the framework of the Six-Party Talks,” said Hua.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday condemned the latest nuclear test by North Korea. 

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the underground nuclear test by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. This is yet another brazen breach of the resolutions of the Security Council,” Ban Ki-moon said. 

A magnitude 5 earthquake was detected near the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea nuclear site in its northeastern region on Friday, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported, citing South Korean military sources.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff called it an “artificial quake” near the DPRK’s Punggye-ri nuclear test sit at around 9:30 a.m. local time.

A government source said there is a high possibility that Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test on the occasion of its 68th anniversary of the establishment of its regime, Yonhap News reported.

In January, the DPRK conducted a fourth nuclear test after its previous tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013.


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CCTV’s Nick Harper has the latest from UN headquarters.


Rafael Wober on latest DPRK nuclear test

For more on the context behind the DPRK’s 5th nuclear test, CCTV spoke to Rafael Wober, associated Press Asia correspondent, who’s spent years covering Pyongyang.


Jim Walsh on DPRK nuclear test, security implications

For a closer look at the DPRK’s nuclear test, possible future sanctions from the United Nations and more, CCTV America’s Asieh Namdar spoke with Jim Walsh, international security expert and research associate at MIT.


Teng Jianqun on DPRK’s recent suspected nuclear missile firing

For more on the news of DPRK’s nuclear testing, CCTV America’s Asieh Namdar spoke with Teng Jianqun, director for the Center of Arms Control at China Institute of International Studies.

Story by CCTV, The Associated Press, Reuters, and Xinhua.