World goes into huddle as North Korea tests hydrogen bomb -Governance Now

World goes into huddle as North Korea tests hydrogen bomb

Only known test of dry hydrogen bomb by the US produced a yield of 15 megatons

GN Staff | January 6, 2016

#north korea #hydrogen bomb #atomic bomb #united nations

North Korea’s H-bomb test today presents a serious dilemma for world leaders and the United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency meeting today in New York.

"While we cannot confirm at this time that a test was carried out, we condemn any violation of UNSC Resolutions and again call on North Korea to abide by its international obligations and commitments," US mission spokeswoman Hagar Chemali said.

If the test was indeed a hydrogen bomb, it would mark a significant increase in capabilities from the North, which previously tested far less fission blasts generated by uranium or plutonium.

If North Korea's claim is confirmed, it would massively raise the stakes around its banned nuclear program and likely trigger tougher international sanctions.

The US said it could take days to confirm whether North Korea successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

A hydrogen, or thermonuclear bomb, uses fusion in a chain reaction that results in a far more powerful explosion than the fission blast generated by uranium or plutonium alone.

The H-bomb is thousands of times more powerful than an atomic bomb. While the world has seen the horror of 15 to 20 kiloton atomic bombs dropped on Japan, the only known test of dry hydrogen bomb by the US produced a yield of 15 megatons.

Here's why: In order to combine the small atoms and start a fusion reaction, such a bomb needs a large amount of energy. And that energy comes from an atomic bomb inside the hydrogen bomb. A hydrogen bomb causes two separate explosions and hence is also known as thermonuclear bomb.

Initial reports said an earthquake measuring a 5.1 magnitude was registered in North Korea near a known testing site in the isolated country. It is called the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, which is in the Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province. This is the same site where the alleged 2006, 2009 and 2013 nuclear bomb tests took place.

Comments

Other News

Before India voted, the framers worried about the referee

“We are making a Constitution forever and not only for today.” Shibban Lal Saksena said this in the Constituent Assembly on June 15, 1949. He was warning that a ruling party might one day choose a loyalist to run India’s elections. Seventy-seven years later, the Supreme Court is wrestli

Delhi moves to real-time traffic management

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, has approved implementation of the ITMS Project by Delhi Police at an estimated cost of Rs.1,789.52 crore, inclusive of taxes. The project will cover 42 identified traffic corridors and will be implemented in three

MDR on UPI: Can sustainability come without weakening the network?

The extraordinary transaction volumes and value (₹29.82 Lakh crore in August 2026 alone) of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have made it not only an Indian success story, but a global one. In 2024, UPI accounted for nearly 49% of the world’s real-time payment transaction volume, with more th

The Xi-Trump summit: The unending rivalry

Diplomacy is akin to an art, wherein the summitry, conflict resolution and negotiations form apt constituents of the entire context of deal making and “playing for keeps” in the international arena. The Xi-Trump summit in Washington last week, in which the American president broke all conside

“Indians, yet treated like outsiders”

Moving to Delhi-NCR for education can be an exciting experience for students from Northeast India. It gives us a chance to meet new people, experience a different culture and become more independent. But living away from home also comes with challenges that people who have not experienced them may not al

Import duty on major edible oils cut

The government has reduced the Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on major imported crude edible oils with a view to moderating domestic edible oil prices, providing relief to consumers and mitigating inflationary pressures arising from the sharp increase in international edible oil prices.