N. Korea claims success in nuclear test

A senior researcher for the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources on October 9 shows data from a detected tremor likely caused by a nuclear test. Daejeon Yonhap News

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said Monday that North Korea's self-proclaimed nuclear test would undo Seoul's efforts to engage its communist neighbor.

Speaking to reporters after a two-hour summit with Japan's new leader Shinzo Abe in Seoul, Roh said his government's policy on Pyongyang will change course in the wake of Monday's alleged nuclear test.

South Korea's policy of appeasement, dubbed the "sunshine policy," has been a subject of much controversy in recent years, both at home and abroad, as the U.S. has pushed to crack down on North Korea's illicit financial activities.

"It could be said that the engagement policy has not been effective in resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis," Roh said.

It would be difficult for the South Korean government to continuously push for the policy under the current situation, he added.

South Korea's inter-Korean projects, including an industrial complex in the North Korean town of Kaesong, and a tourism business at the North's Mount Geumgang, have been criticized by conservatives at home and in the U.S., who criticize them for providing the North with solid financial streams with which to bolster its WMD arsenal.

"It is an objective fact that the situation is changing in that way," Roh said. "The government cannot stick to dialogue alone."

He called the North's move a "grave challenge" to world peace.

But he refused to clearly say whether Seoul would abandon its policy of engagement.

Roh vowed to review his government's North Korea policy on the basis of close coordination with other countries and after taking into account the opinions of related officials and experts.

Roh said he would invite ruling and opposition party leaders to discuss the situation on Tuesday morning.

He said there were no differences between himself and the new Japanese prime minister as far as the nuclear issue was concerned.

They agreed that the North's nuclear test would never be tolerated and shared the need for a calm and strategic response, Roh said.

Abe later told a separate press conference at a Seoul hotel that his country would take stern measures against North Korea and step up its defense-related cooperation with the U.S.

Earlier, South Korea called the North's announcement of a nuclear test an "intolerable, provocative act." If the North is found to have carried out a nuclear test, it is expected to deal a serious blow to global efforts to resolve the nuclear crisis through dialogue, as well as spark an arms race in the region, analysts said.

But some government officials said it would take some time to confirm whether the North actually tested a nuclear bomb or detonated a pile of other conventional bombs.

South Korea's state geology research center detected a 3.58-3.7 magnitude tremor in the North's remote area of North Hamgyeong Province at around 10:36 a.m. The authorities here called it an "artificial earthquake."

In theory, a seismic reading of at least 3.5-4.0 on the Richter scale is necessary if it was caused by the explosion of a nuclear bomb, experts here said. They added that the power of the explosion in the North was equivalent to more than 800 tons of TNT explosives, judging from the seismic tremor recorded.

U.S. security analysts also played down the power of the explosion in the North, saying the U.S. atomic bomb which destroyed the Japanese city of Hiroshima during World War II was comparable to between 15,500 and 21,500 tons of TNT.

Meanwhile, White House spokesman Tony Snow said it would take some time to gauge how accurate North Korea's own claims regarding the test were.

"We expect the Security Council to take immediate actions to respond to this unprovoked act. The United States is closely monitoring the situation and reaffirms its commitment to protect and defend our allies in the region," he said in a statement, which U.S. embassy staff here say is the first and only official response yet to North Korea's claim.

In a report by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang flamboyantly said the test earlier Monday was carried out safely and successfully.

"The field of scientific research in the DPRK successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions on October 9, 2006 at 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 KCNA said in its English report, using the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"It has been confirmed that there was no such danger as radioactive emissions in the course of the nuclear test as it was carried out under a scientific consideration and careful calculation," it added.

The North boasted that its historic nuclear test was conducted with 100 percent of its "wisdom and technology."

The nuclear test came on the eve of the 61st anniversary of the North's ruling Workers' Party. Later Monday, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon was to be officially designated by the U.N. Security Council to lead the world body.

Ban had a 15-minute conference call with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, in which he said the U.N. council should issue an immediate reaction.

In his Seoul office, Ban later talked about countermeasures with U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Alexander Vershbow on Monday evening.

Seoul's Foreign Ministry has also decided to launch a task force on the North's nuclear test. The eight-member team, to be led by Vice Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan includes Seoul's top nuclear envoy Chun Yung-woo and other top-level officials.

China was reportedly informed by the North about 20 minutes before its nuclear test, and the Chinese Embassy in Seoul immediately relayed the message to the South Korean government.

The U.N. Security Council is expected to deal sternly with the North's nuclear test.

Last week, the council issued a chairman's statement in response to Pyongyang's public threat on Oct. 3 that it would push for a nuclear test due to what the North called Washington's hostile policy.

"Should North Korea ignore the calls of the international community, the Security Council will act consistently with its responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations," said Japan's U.N. envoy Kenzo Oshima, who chairs the council this month.

The U.N. Security Council will likely convene soon to decide a level of punishment, including the adoption of a tough resolution that may refer to Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter. The chapter allows the international community to use military force.

When North Korea test-launched seven missiles in July, the council adopted a resolution that excluded the controversial chapter because China and Russia, the North's time-honored allies, opposed its inclusion.

Seoul, Oct. 9 (Yonhap News)