North Korea’s Hydrogen Bomb Test Unsuccessful? Stricter Sanctions Awaits The ‘Isolated Nation’?

by Jen Mendoza / Jan 06, 2016 09:40 PM EST
NEW YORK, NY - JAN. 06: Security Council President Elbio Rosselli makes comments to the media on the situation in North Korea following a Security Council closed-door meeting to discuss the next steps at the United Nations on Jan. 6, 2016 in New York City

With North Korea's claim that they have been successful in testing their hydrogen bomb, stricter penalties are expected to be imposed.

CNN reported that the United Nations Security Council will be taking "significant measures" to address the country's move. 

Accordingly, diplomats have hinted that there will be an "expansion of sanctions" awaiting North Korea despite the fact that the United States and several weapons experts have aired out some doubts that the explosive was "as advanced as the isolated nation claimed."

It can be recalled that prior to testing their hydrogen bomb, North Korea has already been under Security Council sanctions since 2006 after its first atomic device testing.

Meanwhile, in 2013, the country did a nuclear test which resulted to the release of a resolution by the Security Council which they came up in about three weeks. The said resolution had "tightened financial restrictions and cracked down on Pyongyang's attempts to ship and receive banned cargo."

Amid North Korea's strong claim that it was indeed an H-bomb that they have just detonated, the administration of US President Barack Obama did not buy it.

"The initial analysis is not consistent with the claim the regime has made of a successful hydrogen bomb test," White House spokesman Josh Earnest revealed. "

It was learned that Beijing "will lodge a protest with Pyongyang" following North Korea's hydrogen bomb testing.

In the meantime, Wired.com reported that Hans M. Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, pointed out that "The device they are testing underground is different from the way it would look and fit into a ballistic missile." 

"They have only conducted four [Ed: technically three, at this point] tests," Kristensen stated. "It would take quite a few to advance the weapon to fly it in a missile."

However, the report emphasized that whether what North Korea detonated was a hydrogen bomb or not, the mere fact is "the country detonated one at all."

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