Oooohhhh, boy...

[Ibby]

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea said Monday it has performed its first-ever nuclear weapons test.

U.S. and South Korean officials could not immediately confirm the report.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the underground test was performed successfully and there was no radioactive leakage from the site.

South Korean intelligence officials said a seismic wave of magnitude-3.58 had been detected in North Hamkyung province, according to Yonhap. It said the test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. (9:36 p.m. EDT Sunday) in Hwaderi near Kilju city on the northeast coast, citing defense officials.

North Korean scientists “successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions,” the KCNA report said, adding this was “a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation.”

The director of South Korea’s monitoring center that is watching for a test with sound and seismic detectors declined to immediately comment on the reported test.

“We don’t know whether it is a nuclear test or not,” an official at the earthquake center at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources said on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitive nature of the issue.

The U.S. Geological Survey said it had detected no seismic activity in North Korea, although it was not clear whether a blast would be strong enough for its sensors.

The North said last week it would conduct a test, sparking regional concern and frantic diplomatic efforts aimed at dissuading Pyongyang from such a move. North Korea has long claimed to have nuclear weapons, but had never before performed a known test to prove its arsenal.

“The nuclear test is a historic event that brought happiness to our military and people,” KCNA said. “The nuclear test will contribute to maintaining peace and stability in the Korean peninsula and surrounding region.”

On Sunday night, U.S. government officials said a wide range of agencies were looking into the report of the nuclear test, which officials were taking seriously.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has convened a meeting of security advisers over the issue, Yonhap reported, and intelligence over the test has been exchanged between concerned countries.

Kyodo News agency reported that the Japanese government has set up a taskforce in response to reports of the test.

The North has refused for a year to attend international talks aimed at persuading it to disarm. The country pulled out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 2003 after U.S. officials accused it of a secret nuclear program, allegedly violating an earlier nuclear pact between Washington and Pyongyang.

Speculation over a possible North Korean test arose earlier this year after U.S. and Japanese reports cited suspicious activity at a suspected underground test site.This breaking news story will be updated.

This breaking news story will be updated.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15190745/

Fuck.

[morethanpretty]

Originally Posted by Ibram

Fuck.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Ibram

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15190745/

Fuck.

Wow. You killed your own thread with the opening post.

Fuck. Agreed.

[Aliantha]

What were people saying when the French were in the midst of nuclear testing?

Fucking frogs!

Not quite the same connotation I know, but still, worth a mention.

[Aliantha]

Of course, then they blew up the Rainbow Warrior and all hell broke loose.

Fucking frogs.

[Ibby]

Wait, I killed my own thread? what?

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Ibram

Wait, I killed my own thread? what?

As in there's nothing more to say after your remarks in your opening post. Except repeating it, which I did. Or perhaps praying. Or placing a "strong buy" position in the Defense Contractor segment of the Military-Industrial Complex (tm).

Your post was actually going to be the title of my thread starter. Better we should all just huddle in the same place though. I don't mind the company.

What is the next logical step? NK said "we're gonna do it" and the world, US, China, etc, said "UNACCEPTABLE", NK said "Boom!". Ball's in your court, Condi.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Ibram

Wait, I killed my own thread? what?

I think he was just referring to the fact that no one had replied, presumably because "Fuck" pretty much sums it up perfectly.

[Aliantha]

Why does anyone need to do anything about it? They're testing nuclear weapons, underground, in their own backyard. That's better than many other nations who choose to do their testing in other people's backyards.

And now, here comes 'The New Cold War'!!!

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by Aliantha

And now, here comes 'The New Cold War'!!!

With North Korea? I don't think so. China yes, not North Korea. As long as we can keep China against North Korea on this issue we won't have a cold war. Now if this is true, I would be a little worried if I lived on the West Coast of the US.

[Aliantha]

You don't think there'll be sanctions which will lead to threats either direct or implied?

[Ibby]

I think NK is still not enough of a threat for us to be REALLY figting them (then again, look at Iraq...), but as long as China's still pissed at them, theyve got NUTTIN'.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Ibram

I think NK is still not enough of a threat for us to be REALLY figting them (then again, look at Iraq...), but as long as China's still pissed at them, theyve got NUTTIN'.

Eventually the world will have to pay to reinstate N Korea into the world. That was the deal that Jimmy Carter in conjunction with Japan, S Korea, and the Clinton administration worked out. Since George Jr shattered that deal with his axis of evil speech, N Korea has been upping ante. Each time they do something, it comes with numerous and plenty of preannouncements. Each step is taken with a "if you don't talk to us, then we will make more weapons" statement.

Last 'begging you to talk to us' step was launching numerous missiles on 4 July. One that would have flown over Japan exploded before that flight got to Japan (accident or intentional?). The date was no accident because of who they keep begging to. We ignored them for another 3 months. So they announced (repeatedly) the next step - a nuclear test. BBC interview of N Korea's spokesman from Australia could not have been blunter. They want to talk. And still the US refuses.

Problem is with every new and proven weapon system, then the cost of reinstating N Korea into the world is more expensive. This nuclear test is not a military threat as much as it has now massively increased the cost of restoring N Korea into a world community. The test may have made that cost so high that extremists would rather fight a war than negotiate an arrangement - reconciliation.

[Aliantha]

I agree TW. If the international community wants to try and ignore N Korea for much longer there'll be trouble. This is why I think 'the world' will react in the usual way (negative) and impose sanctions. Hence - cold war II

[sproglet]

This is just Korea letting us know they're still there. Allthis talk of 'fuck' and 'we're all doomed' is a little premature. They've developed a nuclear device (not so difficult) probably the size of a bus, with no means of turning it into a practical weapon.

They do appear to have pissed off China (their last real ally) which is not a good thing for them. I suspect China will step in and tell them to get with the program, this could work in China's favour if they play it right.