United States and S Korea pledge sanctions against N Korea

That lack of warning is likely to fuel even more worldwide fallout, with United Nations officials calling it “profoundly destabilizing”, and traditional North Korea ally China similarly expressing annoyance at the sudden incident.

“We do not and will not accept North Korea as a nuclear armed state, and actions such as this latest test only strengthen our resolve”, he said.

The U.S. doubted North Korean threats to test a hydrogen bomb last month, the officials said, because they had not demonstrated such capability in the past.

There is condemnation from around the world as North Korea announced on its state television that it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb. “It doesn’t look like one;… one would have expected it to be greater if it was an H-bomb”. That’s roughly comparable to North Korea’s previous atomic tests.

US aircraft flying out of Japan will collect air samples off the coast of North Korea to determine exactly what kind of nuclear device went off.

“The New Zealand government strongly urges North Korea to cease its provocative behaviour and commit to not developing, testing or possessing nuclear weapons”. But many are saying that it is not consistent with readings that would normally be associated with a hydrogen bomb.

“Any escalation in this region, any over-reaction can easily lead to not only a conflict between South and North Korea, but drag China and the United States and Japan into a confrontation”, as well, Cordesman said.

It remains to be seen if the new resolution will include sanctions against the North Korean economy in general and also specifically target the Kim Jong-un regime.

A closed-door morning talks between the 15-member Security Council were called by the United Nations and Japan yesterday.

It will now begin work on what further measures to impose against North Korea, such as additional sanctions, in response to the test. “It means we are dealing with a much more unpredictable leader”.