N.Korea says it conducted hydrogen bomb test

Korean Central Television broadcast what it called an “especially important announcement”, at noon, local time, on Wednesday.

The announcement said the hydrogen bomb test was conducted at a test site in a northeastern region at 10 AM.

North Korea had conducted 3 nuclear tests in the past– in October 2006, May 2009, and February 2013, at the Poongkye-ri nuclear test site in the northeastern part of the country.

The size of the explosion of the first test was estimated to be equivalent to less than 1 kiloton of TNT explosives. That’s under one-fifteenth of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

But the blast in the second test was more powerful, estimated to be equivalent to several kilotons of TNT.

North Korea conducted all three nuclear tests 1 to 3 months after launching ballistic missiles.

Observers say the test was designed to boost North Korea’s prestige ahead of leader Kim Jong Un’s birthday on Friday.

The United Nations condemned the missile launches each time and tightened the sanctions against the reclusive country.

Source and image: NHK