Anchor: North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test on Friday that produced its biggest-ever explosive yield. The test was carried out despite international demands for North Korea to abandon its nuke and missile programs and came some eight months after its fourth nuclear test in January.
Kim Bum-soo reports.

Report: North Korea has pushed ahead with a fifth nuclear test.

The North's Korean Central Television(KCTV) and other state-run news agencies on Friday delivered a statement by the regime's nuclear weapons developer that an atomic test was successfully carried out.

[Sound bite: Korean Central Television (Sept. 9)]
"According to the Workers' Party plans to build strategic nuclear weapons, our nuclear researchers and technicians carried out an atomic explosion test at the northern test site to verify the strength of the newly-created nuclear warhead."

The North claimed that it can now produce as many types of nuclear warheads as it wishes.

Geological authorities in South Korea, the U.S., China and Europe on Friday morning detected a quake originating from the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in the northeastern part of North Korea.

Seoul's Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA) said that the five-point-zero magnitude tremor occurred at 9:30 a.m. due to an explosion greater than the North's previous nuclear test in January. 

[Sound bite: Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA) briefing]
"The size [of the explosion] was twice the level of the fourth nuclear test. According to KIGAM(Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources), the explosive yield stood at ten kilotons. For reference, the fourth test was four to six kilotons. That's why this time it's double. The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima had a yield of 15 kilotons."

Friday's detonation produced the largest explosive yield North Korea has achieved in its atomic weapons tests. 

Shortly after the seismic detection, Seoul's Defense Ministry also confirmed the North's fifth nuclear test, which came on the 68th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean regime.

The military authorities of South Korea and the U.S. had been monitoring the situation at the test site as they detected signs suggesting preparations for a possible nuclear experiment. 

The head of the South Korean National Intelligence Service(NIS) told the parliamentary intelligence committee on Friday that North Korea is seeking to develop a small enough nuclear warhead that can be placed on its Skud missiles. The NIS director Lee Byung-ho said that it is concerning that the North is making related progresses faster than it was initially expected.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.

[Photo : ]