The U.S. Increases Pressure on North Korea in Response to Nuclear Test

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Friday that the international community must double its pressure on North Korea's government to stop its nuclear programs in response to the country's nuclear test. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Carter declined to answer a question regarding the consideration of military options against North Korea. He added that North Korea's nuclear tests and other provocative actions would lead the U.S. to defend itself and its allies more robustly, and Washington plans to deploy more missile defense systems in South Korea in the near future. He described North Korea's latest nuclear test as provocative and a factor of instability. The U.S. Defense Secretary stated that China has a significant responsibility in this process and must help stop North Korea's nuclear programs. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye also announced that North Korea's recent nuclear and missile tests represent a 'different level of threat' in the region. The Japanese Prime Minister said that in a phone conversation with the South Korean President, the two countries agreed on closer cooperation in response to this test, including requesting the Security Council to adopt stricter resolutions against North Korea. The North Korean government announced that it conducted a nuclear test explosion at 'higher levels' on Friday. This is the fifth nuclear test for the country and the second this year. The country claimed that with this test, it would be able to produce smaller, more powerful, and lighter nuclear weapons whenever it wanted. Barack Obama also condemned this test, emphasizing that 'the U.S. will never accept North Korea as a nuclear-armed state.' He stated that he consulted with the leaders of Japan and South Korea by phone, and all three countries agreed on joint actions within the framework of the United Nations and the Security Council aimed at increasing punitive measures against North Korea. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that it would summon the North Korean ambassador in Beijing in formal protest of this test. A spokesperson for the ministry stated that North Korea's nuclear test is the latest action destabilizing the Korean Peninsula. At the same time, China is strongly opposed to the deployment of U.S. missile defense systems in South Korea. Chinese state media called on all parties to 'not pour oil on this flame.' China is North Korea's most important political ally and its main economic lifeline. John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov, the foreign ministers of the U.S. and Russia, who are negotiating the Syrian crisis in Geneva, reacted to this incident. John Kerry emphasized that all countries in the region, like the U.S., are concerned about this nuclear test. Mr. Lavrov also stressed that UN Security Council resolutions regarding North Korea must be implemented and that a decisive response must be shown regarding this nuclear test. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency also stated that North Korea's nuclear test not only violates UN Security Council resolutions but also shows disregard for the repeated demands of the international community. Yukiya Amano added in a statement: 'This test is a deeply concerning and regrettable act.' North Korean state television reported that this nuclear test 'tested and confirmed some characteristics of a nuclear warhead designed for ballistic missiles.' According to this media, there were no incidents of active nuclear materials or environmental effects resulting from this test. The North Korean government claims that this test showed that the country is ready to confront any provocative actions from the U.S. and its other enemies and is determined to continue improving the quality and quantity of its nuclear weapons.