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North Korea possibly tested hydrogen bomb components
Posted On Jan 29 2016
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USA officials strongly believe that only a few components of the device exploded, speculating that perhaps a detonator explosion was the force North Koreans claimed was an H-bomb.
Since early 2013, North Korea has been upgrading the Sohae launch complex to handle larger, longer-range rockets with heavier payloads, but most experts say Pyongyang is still years away from obtaining a credible ICBM capability that could threaten the United States mainland.
A US official directly familiar with the latest USA assessment said there may have been a partial, failed test of some type of components associated with a hydrogen bomb.
The assessment comes after careful examination of the latest intelligence analysis of the test data. That depth would be consistent with what might be needed for a hydrogen bomb test.
SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -South Korea’s defense ministry said Thursday that it is closely watching a possible test-launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) of its long-range ballistic missile after its nuclear test earlier this month.
The U.N. Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from conducting a long-range rocket launch with ballistic missile technology.
“The indications are that they are preparing for some kind of launch”, one USA official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Pyongyang said the device was a communication satellite.
“If North Korea moves toward the limit step by step, China will not manage the situation”, the editorial read.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis-class destroyer Kirishima has set sail from its base in Yokosuka, apparently in preparation for a possible missile launch by North Korea.
North Korea said January 6, 2016, it had successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test, which, if confirmed, would be a first for the reclusive regime and a significant advancement for its military ambitions. Since that time it has conducted three tests, with the most recent being it’s alleged H-bomb testing that occurred on January 6.
