North Korea: We have successfully conducted a nuclear test on a nuclear warhead

North Korean state television has officially announced that the country has conducted its fifth nuclear test with military functionality, stating it was "successful" and involved a nuclear warhead. A South Korean military official has stated that this is "the strongest test North Korea has ever conducted." On September 9, North Korean state television reported, "Our nuclear scientists successfully conducted a nuclear explosion on a newly manufactured warhead at the nuclear center in the northern part of the country." The United States Geological Survey reported a tremor measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale at a location where North Korea may have conducted a nuclear test. According to this center, the tremor could be due to an explosion. The official South Korean news agency, Yonhap, also reported a 5.0 magnitude earthquake in the area, with increasing speculation that this tremor is related to a nuclear test. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the "artificial" tremor occurred at 9:30 AM on September 9. A military official from South Korea told Yonhap that this nuclear test is "the strongest test North Korea has ever conducted." The epicenter of this tremor is in the "Punggye-ri" area, where North Korea has previously conducted military nuclear tests. A South Korean government official stated that there is a "high likelihood" that Pyongyang conducted this "new military nuclear test" due to the upcoming 68th anniversary of the establishment of its government. The White House has stated that it is assessing the reports. According to Japanese NHK network, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned the test, stating it is "absolutely unacceptable." South Korean President Park Geun-hye also strongly condemned the test, stating that Pyongyang's "provocations" will only lead to increased sanctions, further isolation, and "self-imposed destruction" of the country. The South Korean Foreign Ministry announced it is in contact with American and other officials. Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, also expressed "deep concern" and stated that this event violates several UN Security Council resolutions and disregards international demands. The recent nuclear test by North Korea was not entirely unexpected. South Korean officials had suggested in April that Pyongyang would soon conduct a new nuclear test, emphasizing at that time that they were in "full readiness." Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, has repeatedly called for "readiness" or "increasing nuclear power" in recent months. Pyongyang conducted its fourth military nuclear test in January 2016, which was a hydrogen bomb. This led to a response from the UN Security Council, the imposition of international sanctions, and separate sanctions from other countries against North Korea. The number of international sanctions against North Korea has reached five since it conducted its first test in 2006. Especially since Kim Jong-un came to power, Pyongyang has conducted dozens of ballistic missile tests, which also violate international resolutions passed by the UN Security Council.