Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The latest on the North Korean announcement it has conducted a hydrogen bomb test (all times local):
___
1:45 p.m.
The head of the U.N. Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, which monitors worldwide for nuclear testing, says if confirmed, a nuclear test by North Korea would be a breach of the treaty and a grave threat to international peace and security.
Lassina Zerbo says in a statement that the universally accepted norm against nuclear testing has been respected by 183 countries since 1996.
Zerbo urged North Korea to refrain from further nuclear testing and join the 183 states who have signed the treaty.
— George Jahn, Vienna
___
1:40 p.m.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the North Korean announcement of a hydrogen bomb test is a threat to his nation's safety.
Abe told reporters: "We absolutely cannot allow this, and condemn it strongly."
He called it a violation of the U.N. Security Council agreements that is against the global efforts toward nuclear disarmament.
Abe says he will take "strong action," work with other nations, the U.S., South Korea, China and Russia, as well as through the U.N.
— Yuri Kageyama, Tokyo
___
1:25 p.m.
The U.N. organization monitoring the world for signs of nuclear testing says it has detected "an unusual event in the Korean Peninsula."
The head of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization Lassina Zerbo says in a statement: "Our International Monitoring System detected an unusual seismic event in the Korean Peninsula at latitude 41.27 longitude 129.10."
The location on the map places the epicenter at North Korea's Pyunggye-ri testing site in its northeastern mountains, where all of its nuclear tests have been conducted.
North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a hydrogen bomb test, which, if confirmed, would put Pyongyang a big step closer toward improving its still-limited nuclear arsenal.
— George Jahn, Vienna
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
