'More activity' at North Korea nuclear test site

[okaawhatever]

Source: BBC

Activity has increased at North Korea's nuclear test site, South Korea says, ahead of a visit by US President Barack Obama to the region.

The military was "currently detecting a lot of activity in and around the Punggye-ri nuclear test site", a South Korean defence ministry spokesman said.

North Korea could be planning to hold a "surprise nuclear test or just pretend to stage a nuclear test", he said.

SNIP

Late last month, North Korea threatened to carry out a "new form" of nuclear test. It is not clear what that means.

While Pyongyang has tested devices, it is not yet believed to have mastered the process of making a nuclear warhead small enough to deliver via a missile.

Mr Obama is due to arrive in South Korea on Friday, after a three-day visit to Japan.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27107273

[Spitfire of ATJ]

1. Their last blast was a total joke....

It was so small it could have just been a bunch of conventional explosives in a cave.

[okaawhatever]

2. So was the United States' at one time. Yes, they're sort of pathetic, but what concerns me is their

ability to get better. When will they get good enough to really do some damage?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

3. About the time China cuts them off.

[okaawhatever]

4. Russia was helping them with their nuclear program. Putin says he doesn't want N Korea to become

nuclear bomb capable, but he hasn't done anything to stop the. Remember all the talks and summits? Russia and China were both there last summer and accomplished nothing.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. If they don't take it seriously, why do we?

[okaawhatever]

16. Because the bomb wouldn't be pointed towards Russia or China, it would however be pointed at us or

S Korea. He could also start selling nukes once he has them. sort of what Pakistan did. Russia and China would definitely step up to the plate then.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

18. You are forgetting Japan....

The last thing they need is more radiation.

[okaawhatever]

19. Yeah, they would still probably hit us first. We're under treaty obligation to protect Japan so

Kim Jong Un would probably hit us so we couldn't defend Japan. Actually, he'd probably wait until they had three bombs. One for the US, one for S Korea and one for Japan.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

20. LOL!!! Oh yeah,...South Korea is going to destroy America with ONE BOMB so it can hit Japan....

[freshwest]

15. Of course it accomplished nothing. Kim is farting in the wind again. As far as them really getting

going, I suspect China has a nuke that DOES work with this nutjob's name painted right on it.

He's a dog who tries to piss on the shoes of a POTUS for attention. But he can't get his leg high enogh.

He's chasing a car down the street that he knows better than to bite. He's just barking again.

JMHO.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

5. If you know anything about East Asia and North Korea, that will never, I repeat. . .never happen!

[okaawhatever]

6. I don't know much about it, help me understand. Why won't it ever happen? China won't let

N Korea get that powerful?

[Nanjing to Seoul]

7. China has little influence in Pyongyang. Living in China, the army officers I know that I speak

openly state that Kim Jong Jabba is not worth fighting and dying over. Even the everyday, run of the mill Chinese person has no interest in helping Jabba the Kim. Publicly, the Chinese and NK Governments are friendly. . .privately, the rift is so wide. And one can see that when China tells NK to cool their heels and NK tells China to go "f" themselves. One can see it when North Korean people throw rocks into the Yalu, trying to hit China because they are angry that China has westernized. One can see that when the North Koreans fired their weapons across the Yalu and killed two people in Dandong. In public, China is North Korea's best friend. Privately, there is a rift as big as the Sino-Soviet split.

The problem with North Korea getting stronger is not China limiting them, it's their own system. Juche has crippled any ability to work or achieve, the personality cult of Kim is all that matters and 90% of the people are so underfed and starving that the only thing they can do is die.

Even the policy of Songun (military first) has failed because their soldiers are pretty much emaciated to the point of worthless in battle.

The Stalinist experiment in North Korea failed, they are alone. . .and all they can do is stamp their feet and cry.

[okaawhatever]

9. Oh, okay. Thanks for the info. I think i've underestimated China's influence on N Korea. nt

[Nanjing to Seoul]

10. No worries. Being on the ground here in East Asia gives a unique perspective.

[davidpdx]

11. I agree with the notion that China has to essentially put up with North Korea

because they have very few other choices. China (and Russia) created and supported the nightmare government of North Korea though.

Russia has distanced itself from North Korea quite a bit over the last few decades, but still does a fair amount of trade with them. Two reasons: cheap labor and cheap resources.

China unfortunately got caught holding the bag as North Korea's last large ally. The other problem is the Chinese want to have their cake and eat it too. They don't want the two Koreas reunited and sharing a border. I've heard Chinese make ridiculous claims that large parts of North Korea being Chinese territory. It is absolutely nutty.

There is no doubt about a private rift between the two countries, but I see a lot of hypocrisy in the Chinese stance on North Korea.

[okaawhatever]

17. Maybe we should teach the N Koreans how to speak Russian. Then Putin can go in and save them from

Kim Jong Un, the same way he did to the Crimeans.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

21. Maybe. . .NK does a have a small border with Russia.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

22. Not that nutty. . .remember that Korea was a vassal state of China for a long time

All of the old documents from Korea, including all old laws, are written in traditional mandarin.

Even their language is an offshoot of mandarin, where they use the sounds of mandarin to speak and use the shape of the mouth and tongue when spoken to write the 24 letter alphabet.

[MRadtke]

12. They may not be going after a very large weapon,

I think they're trying to make one small enough that will fit onto one of their missiles.

Would they ever use it? I don't know.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. "Small enough"?

Frankly, I really believe they just packed a cavern full of conventional explosives and then told everyone it was a nuke.

To measure the intensity of the Trinity Blast they first fired off 100 tons of TNT. (or .1 kiloton)





The actual Trinity Blast fused the sand into a glass that still has traces of radiation to this day.

If Korea can show off some radioactive glass to the scientific community than I will believe it.

[daleo]

14. If they don't have a nuke and can't actually build one

Why does everyone (Japan, the U.S., South Korea) get so worked up over these claims?

Note the question was actually for post 13.