Nations React With Alarm Over North Korea's Hydrogen Bomb Test

UPDATE: 7.39 a.m. EDT — President Donald Trump tweeted in response to the nuclear test Sunday saying North Korea was a "rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China."

Original story:

North Korea's state-run DPRK-TV confirmed that the country carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test by detonating a Hydrogen bomb Sunday, prompting strong condemnations from other countries across the world.

This comes after pictures emerged of Kim Jong Un examining what the country claimed was a hydrogen bomb that could be fitted on an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile earlier Sunday.

Officials of Japan and South Korea also reported a seismic tremor at 12.36 p.m ET, from the Punggye-ri underground nuclear test in northwestern North Korea. According to data by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the magnitude of the quake was 6.3 while the South Korean Defense Ministry estimated that it was much lower, at 5.7, reported New York Times. Later, a small second tremor was also detected in the area.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military had "detected a man-made earthquake near Punggye-ri and is analyzing whether it was a nuclear test," CNN reported. Even before the test was confirmed, Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe said a nuclear test by North Korea would not be tolerated and that it would be "absolutely unacceptable".

The National Security Council of South Korea was called for an emergency meeting by the President Moon Jae-In and the military alert level of the country was raised.

The Guardian also reported South Korea wanted the test to be met with the “strongest possible” response, calling for sanctions to be imposed on the country by the United Nations' Security Council, so as to “completely isolate” the country.

The report added U.S. national security adviser H.R. McMaster spoke with his counterpart, Chung Eui-yong in Seoul in a phone call about the detonation and discussed deploying U.S. strategic military assets to the Korean peninsula.

However, the US is not expected to release any statements about the test Saturday night, Fox News said. Earlier, President Donald Trump had said North Korea's nuclear tests would be met with "fire and fury."

"The reports are deeply concerning and only serve to emphasize the importance of using sanctions to compel North Korea to abandon its illegal programs and reinforce our determination in working with our allies and partners to deter Pyongyang from threatening its neighbors," a statement by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's office read.

In a statement [In Chinese], China’s ministry of foreign affairs stated it “resolutely opposes” and “strongly condemns” the nuclear test. "The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has once again conducted a nuclear test in spite of widespread opposition from the international community. The Chinese government resolutely opposes and strongly condemns it," the statement said.

Russia expressed unease over the test, with Frants Klintsevich, deputy head of the Federation Council Committee for Defense and Security saying: “That [North Korea] now has such a projectile after the latest ballistic missile tests is a big, serious concern." He also called the test “an unfavorable trend."

Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the atomic watch dog of the UN issued a statement saying the nation's nuclear programme was a matter of grave concern and the sixth test was "in complete disregard of the repeated demands of the international community."

This is a developing story.