Last night at approximately 10:36 p.m., New York time and 11:36 a.m. on Monday in North Korea, a nuclear test explosion was conducted. Currently, there is still a wait on whether the United States government will confirm whether this was an official nuclear test. It is still not completely clear or proven if it was an actual nuclear bomb that was tested or some other lesser nuclear technology.

      North Korea though has entered the world today as the ninth country in history to test nuclear explosions. The United States was the first to test their nuclear discoveries long ago on July 16^th, 1945. Following the U.S.’ initiative, France, China, The Soviet Union, and United Kingdom all experimented with nuclear devices. Decades passed until finally all five countries signed in 1996 The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in order to ban and prevent all of the nuclear powered countries from continuing their experiments. However, only two years later India, followed by Pakistan and Israel, all were discovered capable of experimenting with nuclear power. North Korea now officially fits into this category. Although, the ultimate question and concern is whether they are going to put a halt to their demonstrations.

      An emergency meeting of the Security Council is scheduled to meet this morning to debate what actions are necessary right now for the United States. United Nations adamantly warned North Korea two days prior to the actual day of launching the tests. Currently, the United States and Bush is in talks of cutting off all oil and any other aid that the country is supplying to North Korea and is also strongly urging other countries to follow example. Countries are also trying to convince South Korea to get rid of their free open borders policy to North Korea. However, this act could possibly lead to offensive action between the two opposing sides. In July of this year, South Korea cut off regular trade and aid to North Korea after they launched their first test-run of missiles. However, they still provide North Korea with cement and other aid due to their recent flooding problems. North Korea has relied on foreign countries to help them in relief of their poverty and famine problems. Without any outside support, the entire country’s population could potentially starve to death and go to complete waste.

      There is already clear unionization amongst countries occurring as a result of the tests. Both China and Russia have already declared that they are siding with the U.N., according to their leaders’ public condemnations to North Korea’s most recent activities. The U.S. government announced that it was given pre-notice from China (who also notified Japan and South Korea) of the actual nuclear test conducted by North Korea twenty minutes prior to the explosion. Japan as well is completely opposed to the nuclear testing. The Japanese government for years has been strongly opposed to all nuclear tests, especially because of the results of the 1945 bombing that completely obliterated two of their cities. In Japan, Shinzo Abe was just made Prime Minister about a week before the tests. The Prime Minister at the time of the explosion was on a trip, visiting South Korea for the first time in order to repair the frayed friendship between the two countries.

      There are also conflicting arguments over the exact magnitude of the explosion created by North Korea. South Korea claims that the nuclear test was rather small, whereas Russia says that the explosion was comparable with the United States’ hit on Hiroshima, Japan. Most observers state that the size of the nuclear explosion was equal to about 1 kiloton. Russia, again exaggerates this statement by reporting that the explosion was equal to between 5 and 15 kilotons (size of Hiroshima bomb) of TNT. However, seismic graphs from South Korea report that the tremors felt in North Korea only surmounted to a 3.6, the U.S. matched their proof with a record of 4.2. These earth tremors are no where near the size that would be felt with a bomb explosion close to the magnitude of the Hiroshima disaster.

      Seismometers can trace for tremors that may display signs of nuclear testing. The nuclear explosions are usually signified with high jolts and they eventually fade away into nothing, whereas a typical earthquake begins slowly and vibrates into a higher force of tremor. The United States is also debating to send off sniffer planes in order to check the air along the coastal borders in North Korea for traces of nuclear byproducts. In this case, there would be more evidence on whether this was a true nuclear test.

      One of the biggest fears most countries have right now is that North Korea could possibly sell their weapons directly to other countries inside of the Middle-East in order to make a significant income in their dying economy. Most recently, Kim Jong-il announced that they would not sell any of their nuclear test weapons to other countries. These are merely tests in order to show that North Korea has a strong defense system in case the United States would chose to invade the country. Korea acknowledged the tests as a “historic event” because no harm was done in the testing experiment. However, South Korean spies within North Korea, claim that the North Korean government is striving to launch and continue even more nuclear tests. This information has led authorities to not believe the nuclear defense system theory. The KCNA quotes the tests as: “a great leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation.” Unfortunately, this isn’t viewed as a tactical approach to forming a superior defense system for North Korea’s socialist dream. Nuclear testing, in most cases, is only viewed by other nations as an approach to debatable hostile warfare. Despite the extreme worry that many countries are experiencing that are a part of the U.N. and surrounding North Korea, the civilians within Northern Korea have so far not taken much notice nor any care as to what has happened. It’s just another regular work day today amidst a brewing world-wide conflict.  
 

Chloe Leery is a freelance writer and proofreader that formerly worked with senior-level copywriters in the creative advertising industry. She is currently a writer for The SuccessfulOffice Group of companies.
 

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