"Artificial Earthquake" Detected in North Korea

[Jorliefstreiken]

They just need to get one through to bring about mass destruction. No air-defense is 100% perfect, even Israel's iron dome last I checked can only stop about 90% of threats. 10 out of 100 or so bombs launched would be more than effective to do the job.

I don't think NK would launch an airstrike against Seoul. Land-based artillery and low-flying missiles are much more suited for a surprise assault, while Incheon could also be attacked by naval artillery.

Anyway, NK knows perfectly well that such an attack would spell disaster for themselves, as Russia and China would greenlight an American and Japanese counterstrike. Of course, things would be different if SK went crazy and attacked NK - an event which is even less likely, though.

I think if it was an H-bomb, the north might realize that China, Russia and Japan are antsy enough for an attack anyways out of fear, and might just try to take the south out with them.

[Maljaratas]

I support the concept of North Korea destroying themselves.

Don't we all?

Isn't this how the newest Godzilla movie started?

Unless there has been a new one since 2014 no.

[Mike the Progressive]

Um....okay. So, what happened?

Chavez was right.

[Maineiacs]

How many minutes forward did this just push the Doomsday Clock? Does Beijing still have a tight hold of Kim's leash?

[Jorliefstreiken]

How many minutes forward did this just push the Doomsday Clock? Does Beijing still have a tight hold of Kim's leash?

nope, kim just bit through it.

[Shy Guyia]

It was likely a nuclear test. I wouldn't be surprise really but a Hydrogen Bomb? That I have to question.

It was a underground nuclear test. KCV (North Korea's State owned television) says that they "successfully" tested a hydrogen bomb.
KCV also stated that "It is (therefore) just to have H-bomb as self-defense against the U.S. having numerous and humongous nuclear weapons. The DPRK’s fate must not be protected by any forces but DPRK itself,"

Source: http://www.nknews.org/2016/01/north-kor ... ogen-bomb/

[Gauthier]

It was likely a nuclear test. I wouldn't be surprise really but a Hydrogen Bomb? That I have to question.

It was a underground nuclear test. KCV (North Korea's State owned television) says that they "successfully" tested a hydrogen bomb.
KCV also stated that "It is (therefore) just to have H-bomb as self-defense against the U.S. having numerous and humongous nuclear weapons. The DPRK’s fate must not be protected by any forces but DPRK itself,"

Source: http://www.nknews.org/2016/01/north-kor ... ogen-bomb/

Defending Best Korea from invasion with a hydrogen bomb. Pure genius.

[Washington Resistance Army]

It was a underground nuclear test. KCV (North Korea's State owned television) says that they "successfully" tested a hydrogen bomb.
KCV also stated that "It is (therefore) just to have H-bomb as self-defense against the U.S. having numerous and humongous nuclear weapons. The DPRK’s fate must not be protected by any forces but DPRK itself,"

Source: http://www.nknews.org/2016/01/north-kor ... ogen-bomb/

Defending Best Korea from invasion with a hydrogen bomb. Pure genius.

It is actually, if they miniaturize thermonuclear weapons and get a good re-entry vehicle (or extend the range of the Sinpo class) they have a guarantee to practically never get Korean Freedomed.

How many minutes forward did this just push the Doomsday Clock? Does Beijing still have a tight hold of Kim's leash?

Beijing never had a tight hold of North Korea. Since it's independence NK has shifted from being in China's corner to being in Russia's corner and vice versa, lately they've been drifting back towards Russia again.

[Dooom35796821595]

Defending Best Korea from invasion with a hydrogen bomb. Pure genius.

It is actually, if they miniaturize thermonuclear weapons and get a good re-entry vehicle (or extend the range of the Sinpo class) they have a guarantee to practically never get Korean Freedomed.

Actually, if they manage to minaturise thermonuclear weapons, create a reentry vehicle and a delivery system that can reach outside Asia, I think it's just a matter of time before the security council starts to seriously consider a preemptive nuclear strike. After all, who wouldn't be nervous if dear leader could vaporise your Capitol city? And they're not exactly the poster country for rational thought. Even Russia and China must be worried.

[Washington Resistance Army]

It is actually, if they miniaturize thermonuclear weapons and get a good re-entry vehicle (or extend the range of the Sinpo class) they have a guarantee to practically never get Korean Freedomed.

Actually, if they manage to minaturise thermonuclear weapons, create a reentry vehicle and a delivery system that can reach outside Asia, I think it's just a matter of time before the security council starts to seriously consider a preemptive nuclear strike. After all, who wouldn't be nervous if dear leader could vaporise your Capitol city? And they're not exactly the poster country for rational thought. Even Russia and China must be worried.

The problem with that is it would turn a potential North Korean strike into a guaranteed North Korean strike. Plus whoever launches the preemptive strike would almost certainly become hated by just about the entire world. North Korea has had a small arsenal of low yield weapons for a years now and they haven't used any, I feel pretty confident they won't start randomly flinging them around because they suddenly got a bigger yield.

[Risottia]

I don't think NK would launch an airstrike against Seoul. Land-based artillery and low-flying missiles are much more suited for a surprise assault, while Incheon could also be attacked by naval artillery.

Anyway, NK knows perfectly well that such an attack would spell disaster for themselves, as Russia and China would greenlight an American and Japanese counterstrike. Of course, things would be different if SK went crazy and attacked NK - an event which is even less likely, though.

I think if it was an H-bomb, the north might realize that China, Russia and Japan are antsy enough for an attack anyways out of fear, and might just try to take the south out with them.

One or even ten H-bombs aren't enough to scare Russia or China. NK would have to fly that thing past their defences first, and a retaliation enough to turn the whole NK into trinitite would be already underway before the first nuke could hit Vladivostok or Harbin.

[MERIZoC]

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/1/6/north-korea-test-draws-international-condemnation.html

Oh look they're probably full of shit, what a surprise.

[New Chalcedon]

Hmm....we must give Dear Tubby Leader a special gift, for this occasion. A knife perhaps. A good, sharp one, and a bold man to wield it.



Say what you will of this Tubby Leader, he didn't f**k around when he felt a threat in the offing. (/sarcasm - ordering assassinations will-nilly is bad policy, mkay?)

[Kiruri]

How many minutes forward did this just push the Doomsday Clock? Does Beijing still have a tight hold of Kim's leash?

Beijing never had a tight hold of North Korea. Since it's independence NK has shifted from being in China's corner to being in Russia's corner and vice versa, lately they've been drifting back towards Russia again.

I beg to differ. It seems to me, honestly, that NK is just doing its own thing. I don't think NK is moving toward any corner at all though with that said it has been doing whatever it wants without taking into consideration China and its actions have alienated it from them. Beijing-Pyongyang relations aren't all that great as of late.

[Rusozak]

No, an H-bomb is a thermonuclear weapon, which is more damaging and powerful than what is commonely called a nuke

You mean the ones actual nuclear powers use, which almost always use fusion?

such as the bombs dropped on Japan.

Which were primitive and have little bearing on modern warfare.

H-bombs use standard fission bombs as the detonator and are many times more powerful. H bombs are the strategic ones; the bombs meant to level cities. The smaller fission nukes are primarily tactical for use against armies, bases, and such. Not saying tactical nukes can't be used on a city, but if North Korea has a hydrogen bomb, they're playing with the big boys now, at least as soon as they can fit one in a missile.

[Washington Resistance Army]

Beijing never had a tight hold of North Korea. Since it's independence NK has shifted from being in China's corner to being in Russia's corner and vice versa, lately they've been drifting back towards Russia again.

I beg to differ. It seems to me, honestly, that NK is just doing its own thing. I don't think NK is moving toward any corner at all though with that said it has been doing whatever it wants without taking into consideration China and its actions have alienated it from them. Beijing-Pyongyang relations aren't all that great as of late.

That's essentially what I meant. NK does it's own thing while throwing it's card in with whatever party likes it at that moment, and NK-Russian relations have been improving for the last few years. Since about the time Crimea kicked off Pyongyang and Moscow have been more friendly with each other, though the Norks continued quest for more WMD's might mess with that a bit.

[Dooom35796821595]

Actually, if they manage to minaturise thermonuclear weapons, create a reentry vehicle and a delivery system that can reach outside Asia, I think it's just a matter of time before the security council starts to seriously consider a preemptive nuclear strike. After all, who wouldn't be nervous if dear leader could vaporise your Capitol city? And they're not exactly the poster country for rational thought. Even Russia and China must be worried.

The problem with that is it would turn a potential North Korean strike into a guaranteed North Korean strike. Plus whoever launches the preemptive strike would almost certainly become hated by just about the entire world. North Korea has had a small arsenal of low yield weapons for a years now and they haven't used any, I feel pretty confident they won't start randomly flinging them around because they suddenly got a bigger yield.

No, I'm thinking a coordinated nuke strike from the UNSC big five, and only when Intel suggests they can put a H-bomb on an ICBM with hypersonic re-entry capability. So about 2077 by my calculations.....

[Washington Resistance Army]

The problem with that is it would turn a potential North Korean strike into a guaranteed North Korean strike. Plus whoever launches the preemptive strike would almost certainly become hated by just about the entire world. North Korea has had a small arsenal of low yield weapons for a years now and they haven't used any, I feel pretty confident they won't start randomly flinging them around because they suddenly got a bigger yield.

No, I'm thinking a coordinated nuke strike from the UNSC big five, and only when Intel suggests they can put a H-bomb on an ICBM with hypersonic re-entry capability. So about 2077 by my calculations.....

Well if we wait that long we might as well leave it to the mechanized infantry

[Maljaratas]

No, I'm thinking a coordinated nuke strike from the UNSC big five, and only when Intel suggests they can put a H-bomb on an ICBM with hypersonic re-entry capability. So about 2077 by my calculations.....

Well if we wait that long we might as well leave it to the mechanized infantry

They might all be dead from starvation by then.

[Rio Cana]

News reports say that NK. has said that it was a Hydrogen nuke explosion.

This is what a Hydrogen nuke explosion looks like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0YH4XHdZqI

[Rio Cana]

It was likely a nuclear test. I wouldn't be surprise really but a Hydrogen Bomb? That I have to question.

The US first exploded the first ever Hydrogen nuke in 1952. I would think NK. while possibly lacking in very high modern technology does have technology superior to what the US was using in 1952 which means it is possible they did explode a Hydrogen nuke.

[Bulgar Rouge]

North Korea is the ultimate troll of international laws, treaties, right conventions and everything else. It's positively amusing, like most of the things posted here so far.

On the topic, the device is certainly not a thermonuclear weapon, but they never claimed they have a two-stage weapon. They just claimed a "hydrogen" bomb, and single-stage tritium weapon can be considered one. It's possible that the device tested was a boosted fission weapon.

[Zeinbrad]

How do you think a preemptive strike by South Korea's air force would play out? If the artillery aimed at Seoul was all blown to pieces, would North Korea be able to counter attack conventionally, or would they be as helpless as Egypt was after Israel took out 18 of their air fields in 1967?

It's around 13,000 hidden pieces of artillery. And I believe that's without including the 300 or so rocket artillery pieces. Itd be hard to find them all in time before they could be manned and firing, especially with the DPRK's paranoia on the DMZ.

Has SK every express interest in an Iron Dome like system? The one Israel has.

[Valaran]

Can we please get China to realise that this maniacal state doing such things really isn't in their best interests either. I understand that the nukes are as much there to deter Beijing as Washington, but seriously, this regional eyesore keeps trolling as much as it can, which would be amusing if it wasn't so dangerous.

As a serious geo-political point, I get that the West and China like to agree over NK so as to have a token point of union, but something really firmer should be installed, just to make sure this won't ever get out of hand. And China is the one to restrain them; it has the levers.

[Nkobangou]

Can we please get China to realise that this maniacal state doing such things really isn't in their best interests either. I understand that the nukes are as much there to deter Beijing as Washington, but seriously, this regional eyesore keeps trolling as much as it can, which would be amusing if it wasn't so dangerous.

As a serious geo-political point, I get that the West and China like to agree over NK so as to have a token point of union, but something really firmer should be installed, just to make sure this won't ever get out of hand. And China is the one to restrain them; it has the levers.

If SK goes ahead and elects a pro-Chinese non-Saenrui government, then I'm sure China would be more than willing to accommodate.

Unfortunately, while China hates NK, it could be arguably more dangerous to have a pro-United States military and technological power on your border (likely with a permanent US garrison) than it is to have an impoverished dictatorship that does nothing but cry and yell 24/7 and still maintain passable relations (if you call massing tanks on the border passable...).

Though, as North Korea grows more and more irrational, China might just be forced to bite the bullet and pull the scab out. Who knows? But I think they'd prefer to wait until they can guarantee a US. free South Korea which isn't too far ahead in the future.