N.Korea boosts frontline troop strength as South readies broadcasts

Hours after Seoul resumed high-decibel propaganda broadcasts across the border it shares with the secretive state, Philip Hammond warned against “rising to the bait”. South Korea stopped earlier broadcasts in late August after it agreed with Pyongyang in late August on a package of measures aimed at easing animosities.

The 242-member chamber “lodges a serious protest” against North Korea and “strongly condemns” Wednesday’s test.

But its military has heightened its cyber security alert level, according to the Yonhap news agency, which reported on Friday that the military had increased its cyber defence agents deployment.

It is unclear whether Kim, whose birthday is also believed to be Friday, attended the celebrations. The United States is highly unlikely to restore the tactical nuclear missiles it removed from South Korea in 1991, experts said. “North Korea now has around 30 nuclear warheads”. Pyongyang also promised that North Korea “will steadily escalate its nuclear deterrence of justice both in quality and quantity”. For current sanctions and any new penalties to work, better cooperation and stronger implementation from China is seen as key.

Washington has said it will not accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state and will continue to pile on diplomatic and economic pressure until Pyongyang backs down.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned North Korea’s action, calling it “profoundly destabilising for regional security”, while US House Speaker Paul Ryan said it “looks like a provocation”.

The broadcasts began to blare sharp criticism of the Kim regime and its human rights abuses, as well as a narrative of South Korea’s achievements and even K-pop songs, from 11 locations along the Demilitarized Zone.

But he added: “We have to be bigger than the North Koreans…”

Japan did not detect artificial radioactive materials at the time of Pyongyang’s three previous nuclear explosions between 2006 and 2013, he said.

The White House said President Barack Obama had spoken to South Korean President Park Geun-Hye and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan.

Ministry officials refused to elaborate about what U.S. military assets were under consideration, but they likely refer to B-52 bombers, F-22 stealth fighters and nuclear-powered submarines. The B-2 is capable of secretly infiltrating North Korea territory undetected, while equipped with nuclear weapons.

The North’s claimed of a successful test drew extreme skepticism overseas.