A nuclear missile launch near the Punggye-ri test site in North Korea was the suspected cause of a 5.0 magnitude earthquake early Friday, local time.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry confirmed the atomic test shortly after and said the launch produced the largest-ever explosive yield.
North American and European officials initially believed the seismic activity was the result of a techtonic shift until the communist country’s southern neighbor informed them otherwise. But the Defense Department said it was examining the evidence to determine if it was a test.
“Secretary [Ash] Carter has been briefed on the seismic activity near a North Korea nuclear site,” said Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook.
“If this turns out to be a nuclear test, it would be yet another flagrant violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and a serious provocation that poses a significant threat to the peace and security of the Korean peninsula and the stability of the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. “We will continue to monitor the situation, and Secretary Carter will remain in close contact with our South Korean allies as well as others friends and allies in the region.”
North Korea has conducted various missile and explosive tests this year despite the United Nations’ warnings and threatened sanctions to curtail the actions.
U.S. officials may consider a new course of action to slow down the nuclear progress of the nation lead by leader Kim Jong Un, who has already threatened to bomb America.
