A nuclear warhead and ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads would soon be tested by North Korea, the KCNA news agency reported quoting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
This would be a direct violation of U.N. resolutions which have the backing of the North's chief ally, China.
KCNA said that the comments by Kim were made during a successful simulated test of atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile that measured the "thermodynamic structural stability of newly developed heat-resisting materials" which was supervised by Kim.
"Declaring that a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability, he (Kim) instructed the relevant section to make prearrangement for them to the last detail," the agency said.
While North Korea continues to maintain readiness to conduct nuclear tests, South Korea's defense ministry said there were no indications of activities at the North's nuclear test site or its long-range rocket station.
If it did not change and continued the confrontation with the international community, the North would lead itself to self-destruction, said South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
As South Korean and U.S. troops stage annual military exercises that Seoul has described as the largest ever there is heightened tension on the Korean peninsula and the North's report comes amid this environment.
A picture of a dome-shaped object placed under what appeared to be a rocket engine and being blasted with flaming exhaust was published in the official newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday in the apparent re-entry simulation. Other pictures showed Kim observing the object described by KCNA as a warhead tip.
Since coming under a new U.N. resolution adopted this month to tighten sanctions against it after a nuclear test in January and the launch of a long-range rocket last month, the North has issued belligerent statements almost daily.
"What would be terrible is if the DPRK (North Korea) re-enacted Operation Frigate Bird or the fourth Chinese nuclear test and did a two-in-one. For now, though, it looks like a nuclear test and several missile tests in close succession," said Jeffrey Lewis of the California-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
It still does not believe the North has acquired missile re-entry technology, South Korea's defense ministry said after the North's report.
The general consensus is that North Korea has not yet successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile, said U.S. and South Korean experts.
There have been no tests to prove it has mastered the re-entry technology needed to bring a payload back into the atmosphere is the more crucial consensus.
Kim said last week his country had miniaturized a nuclear warhead.
Although most experts said the blast was too small for it to have been from a full-fledged hydrogen bomb, the North, which has conducted four nuclear tests, also claims that its January nuclear test was of a hydrogen bomb.
(Source:www.reuters.com)
This would be a direct violation of U.N. resolutions which have the backing of the North's chief ally, China.
KCNA said that the comments by Kim were made during a successful simulated test of atmospheric re-entry of a ballistic missile that measured the "thermodynamic structural stability of newly developed heat-resisting materials" which was supervised by Kim.
"Declaring that a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of several kinds of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads will be conducted in a short time to further enhance the reliance of nuclear attack capability, he (Kim) instructed the relevant section to make prearrangement for them to the last detail," the agency said.
While North Korea continues to maintain readiness to conduct nuclear tests, South Korea's defense ministry said there were no indications of activities at the North's nuclear test site or its long-range rocket station.
If it did not change and continued the confrontation with the international community, the North would lead itself to self-destruction, said South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
As South Korean and U.S. troops stage annual military exercises that Seoul has described as the largest ever there is heightened tension on the Korean peninsula and the North's report comes amid this environment.
A picture of a dome-shaped object placed under what appeared to be a rocket engine and being blasted with flaming exhaust was published in the official newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday in the apparent re-entry simulation. Other pictures showed Kim observing the object described by KCNA as a warhead tip.
Since coming under a new U.N. resolution adopted this month to tighten sanctions against it after a nuclear test in January and the launch of a long-range rocket last month, the North has issued belligerent statements almost daily.
"What would be terrible is if the DPRK (North Korea) re-enacted Operation Frigate Bird or the fourth Chinese nuclear test and did a two-in-one. For now, though, it looks like a nuclear test and several missile tests in close succession," said Jeffrey Lewis of the California-based Middlebury Institute of International Studies.
It still does not believe the North has acquired missile re-entry technology, South Korea's defense ministry said after the North's report.
The general consensus is that North Korea has not yet successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile, said U.S. and South Korean experts.
There have been no tests to prove it has mastered the re-entry technology needed to bring a payload back into the atmosphere is the more crucial consensus.
Kim said last week his country had miniaturized a nuclear warhead.
Although most experts said the blast was too small for it to have been from a full-fledged hydrogen bomb, the North, which has conducted four nuclear tests, also claims that its January nuclear test was of a hydrogen bomb.
(Source:www.reuters.com)
