Korea leader calls for Chinese help to punish North Korea

China, North Korea’s closest ally, has repeatedly condemned the nuclear tests but is often accused of doing little to try and stop them. Her military announced it has found hundreds of anti-Seoul leaflets near the western portion of the Koreas’ border, which the defence ministry believes were floated over by the North’s military.

Local media said strategic assets the United States may deploy to its military bases in South Korea include B-52 bombers, F-22 stealth fighter jets and nuclear-powered submarines.

In her address, Ms Park also called for support for a pending anti-terror Bill, which will help protect the country against security threats from worldwide terror groups as well as North Korea. If so it would be the North’s fourth nuclear test.

Following these tests, the United Nations Security Council imposed various sanctions on Pyongyang.

“A clear message must be sent (to North Korea) and to other countries that such activities are unacceptable and can not be tolerated”.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Wednesday urged the global community, and in particular China, to ensure that North Korea received the strongest possible punishment for its latest nuclear test.

The incursion occurred near South Korea’s Mount Dora Observation Post, some 47 kilometres (29 miles) north of Seoul, at 2:10 pm (05:10 GMT).

Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate would consider a North Korea sanctions bill “shortly”.

“The latest test demands a response”, said House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel, a co-sponsor of the House bill, according to The Washington Post.

Lawmakers are scheduled to vote today on the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act, which proposes to deny North Korea the hard currency they say it needs for its weapons programmes.

Beijing has recently shown signs that it’s losing patience with North Korea over its repeated provocations.

Relations are at boiling point after the secretive state conducted the test before declaring it is on the verge of war with South Korea just days later.

President Park described the resumed broadcasts as the most effective and powerful tool of psychological warfare during her nationally televised speech to people, indicating the continued broadcasts for the time being.

North Korea initially responded with its own broadcasts to prevent its soldiers from hearing the South Korean propaganda.

South Korea halted most trade and assistance programs to the North In 2010 after Seoul accused Pyongyang of sinking a South Korean warship and killing 46 sailors.