South Korea Blasts K-Pop at North Over ‘Nuke’ Test

The US and weapons experts voiced doubts the device North Korea tested on Wednesday was a hydrogen bomb, but calls mounted for more sanctions against it for its rogue nuclear programme.

“North Korea’s fourth nuclear test is in direct violation of its commitments and responsibilities to the worldwide community, such as multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions”, Cho said.

The B-52 and B-2 bombers are the weapons “Kim Jong Un fears the most”, an unidentified South Korea military official said.

Tensions are running high near the inter-Korean border Friday afternoon as South Korea’s military resumed loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts toward North Korea in the demilitarized zone(DMZ).

According to reports, the propaganda broadcasts from loudspeakers could likely draw an angry response from North Korea, which is extremely sensitive to outside criticisms.

South Korea said Thursday that it would temporarily suspend aid to North Korea and limit inter-Korean exchanges in response to Pyongyang’s nuclear test this week.

The South ended the broadcasts after an agreement was reached in August to de-escalate a situation that had brought the Korean Peninsula to the brink of an armed conflict.

China, North Korea’s key ally and benefactor, has reportedly been in a dilemma over how to handle the issue.

North Koreans are prohibited from listening to K-pop, but defectors have said their countrymen enjoy music and other elements of South Korea popular culture that are smuggled into the country on USB sticks and DVDs.

He also added that Japan might take unilateral action, saying it is “considering measures unique to our nation”, without detailing what those measures might be.

The unification ministry in Seoul said there has been no government decision on what North Korea needs to do to end the broadcasts, which began at noon local time (3am GMT/2pm AEDT) on Friday.

“Resuming the broadcasts will pose a threat to the North, but also pose a security threat to the South since the North will certainly promise retaliation”, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor of North Korean studies at Kyungnam University.

The United States has urged China to try different approaches to deal with North Korea’s nuclear ambitions as a long-time benefactor of the country.

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

The United States as well as Japan and South Korea have become sceptical about North Korea’s announcement that it detonated a hydrogen bomb after analysing data detected following the underground blast.