Say Anything Blog

That’s what the AP is reporting.

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea said Monday it has performed its first-ever nuclear weapons test. The country’s official Korean Central News Agency said the test was performed successfully and there was no radioactive leakage from the site.

“The nuclear test is a historic event that brought happiness to the our military and people,” KCNA said.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said the test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. (9:36 p.m. EDT Sunday) in Hwaderi near Kilju city, citing defense officials.

We’ll need to wait for official confirmation as the state-run North Korean news agency is also the group of “reporters” who reported that Kim Jong-il got a hole-in-one on every hole the first time he played golf.

But still, all humor aside, if this happened this is serious business.  America and its allies need a strong and swift response.

Update: They apparently felt something in South Korea:

In Seoul a foreign ministry spokesman said South Korea’s intelligence agency has detected a 3.58-magnitude seismic tremor, following North Korea’s announcement of a nuclear test.

Strangely, though, South Korea’s army remains on normal alert.

Update:

More from the BBC:

North Korea said last week that it planned to test a nuclear weapon.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has called an emergency meeting of his government’s National Security Council.

A South Korean official said that there had been a grave change in the security situation on the peninsula.

Officials in South Korea have been quoted as saying that an explosion was detected in north Hamgyong province in North Korea.

Update:

The AP is reporting that the U.S. Geological Survey hasn’t detected any seismic activity on the Korean peninsula:

However, the U.S. Geological Survey said it hasn’t detected any seismic activity on the Korean peninsula in the past 48 hours of the type one might expect from a nuclear test.

Update: More from the AP:

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun convened an urgent meeting of security advisers over the issue, Yonhap reported.

Update: Bloomberg is confirming that the SK President has convened a meeting of security advisers:

The South Korean presidential office began an emergency security meeting of its ministers at 11:30 a.m., according to officials at the presidential Blue House, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Update: Allah at Hot Air notes that ABC has its news priorities straight:

He’s also saying Fox News has reported that China got a 20 minute heads up on the test.

Update: Here’s the USGS website showing seismic activity from monitors all over the globe.  Of particular interest is this reading from Inchon in South Korea.

Update: The Advertiser in Austalia is quoting South Korean defense officials as saying the test happened for sure.

Update: The next Secretary General of the United Nations is from South Korea.  I wonder how this episode will impact the way he approaches the duties of his office?  It’s also curious that the test happened just as Japan’s new hawkish Prime Minister was visiting South Korea.

Update: The Australian is reporting that a South Korean lawmaker has quoted intelligence reports which say that the test took place for sure in a tunnel near one of N. Korea’s nuclear plants.

This is all I have time for on this story tonight.  All I’ve got to say in summation is…thanks Bill Clinton.

Ken adds: A senior administration official has confirmed that it was indeed a nuclear test.