
'Artificial' earthquake detected in North Korea may be nuclear test - arcatek
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/artificial-earthquake-detected-in-north-korea-may-be-nuclear-test/story-e6frg6so-1226576256804
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mikegioia
So when they did this in 2006, the UN issued weapons sanctions against North
Korea[1]. Then when they did it again in 2009, the UN issued more sanctions[2]
that apparently NK considered an 'act of war'. From them, the world has
intercepted a whopping 6 North Korean boats and 1 North Korean airplane.

Aside from "issuing even more sanctions" what options are available to the UN?
Good luck trying to send in a team of people to destroy the nuclear program,
that will all but invite a warhead/attack.

[1]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_1718)

[2]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_1874)

~~~
cpeterso
What is North Korea's motivation? Given the UN's predicable past responses,
North Korea must gain some political benefit from these UN responses.

~~~
kamaal
Never ever underestimate the power of being self sufficient military wise. You
can pretty much do anything you want and get away if you are a nuclear power.
And its not like North Korea is going to remain poor forever.

Look at UAE and Singapore, it takes little time to change the economic
situation. A little years here and there, with China's and India's emergence
on the world scene things can change pretty rapidly. To cut US's influence in
Asia, North Korea is a indispensable asset.

Allies are not permanent and US's help to Japan and South Korea is not
infinite. Geopolitical situations will always change and have always changed
throughout history.

Given this situation, North Korea can be a big player in the future, now
imagine having the military might in this situation. It can force unification
of the Korean peninsula on its terms in the future.

~~~
dinkumthinkum
> And its not like North Korea is going to remain poor forever.

They are doing a pretty good job of being poor already. I don't think you can
compare North Korea to those other countries, even China. North Korea is a
world peculiarity; it is the way it is because of it's bizarre regime, in a
way different from China. It is so totally isolated and the average person is
so uninformed about what is happening less than 100 miles from it's borders.
The kind of trade that would reduce North Korea's poverty, I think would
topple the regime, a regime based on magical stories about unicorns and people
that don't need to use the bathroom.

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SoftwareMaven
My father-in-law was a VP in Northrop Grumman's space and satellite division.
The kinds of projects he worked on were space defense satellites.

When he looked at all the uncertainty in the world (much caused at least
indirectly by the US), his biggest fear was and continues to be North Korea.

Given the types of people I know he met with, this test does not fill me with
warm fuzzies.

~~~
niggler
" his biggest fear was and continues to be North Korea."

Can you go into why? The sentiment runs at odds with Bush's obsession with
Iraq/Iran.

~~~
SoftwareMaven
It really comes down to the country's leadership. All of the other points in
other comments here are certainly valid, but he feels that NK's leaders are
more likely to be willing to push the button and the US is in range.

What I can't say is if this belief in NK's leaders is based on actual
intelligence or some sort or just his opinion. Given their willingness to take
pot-shots at SK, I know I'm concerned about this.

~~~
niggler
Has that sentiment changed since Kim Jong-un ascended to power?

~~~
SoftwareMaven
His view hasn't. My reading of it is that is because Kim Jong-un was raised in
the same megalomaniac environment and the supporting power structure hasn't
changed.

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brownbat
Most informative piece on North Korean culture I've read recently was written
by someone who worked in Pyongyang for a year as a "reviser" (giving a final
read over their English translated press releases):

<http://www.aidanfc.net/a_year_in_pyongyang.html>

"A Year in Pyongyang" is just fascinating. Really digs into the mechanics and
psychology of a state run under a cult of personality.

It's also completely free.

The biggest takeaway: there are probably a shockingly high number of "true
believers" there that would fight to the last man in any conflict.

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apaprocki
USGS link:
[http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usc000f5t0#...](http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usc000f5t0#summary)

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caf
Statement by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation:
[http://www.ctbto.org/press-centre/press-
releases/2013/statem...](http://www.ctbto.org/press-centre/press-
releases/2013/statement-by-ctbto-executive-secretary-tibor-toth-on-the-
seismic-event-detected-in-north-korea-as-a-response-to-media-questions/)

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AUmrysh
This is sad. Nuclear proliferation can be a good thing (energy), but it can
also be a bad thing (weapons). NK only does this to get attention from other
nations and feel like they are on the same level as them. The end result is
food aid to stop the nuclear development. What's really sad is the world
produces enough food to feed the entire population of the world, but most of
it gets thrown away. I'm willing to pay twice as much for my food if it means
the rest of the world gets to eat too, but I fear most people just don't care.

The good news, if you could call it that, is that China doesn't want American
troops stationed on it's south border, so they will do what they can to keep
NK in line.

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ck2
Think of all those poor suffering people starving to death, eating bark off
trees, just so the government can afford to do this.

It's just sickening.

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zensavona
These kinds of "you guys can't have nukes because they're bad, but we'll keep
some on hand because we're responsible" disputes that the USA seems to love
force me think "where are all the adults?"

~~~
untog
This kind of thinking is disappointing. North Korea is a dictatorship that is
irrational enough to starve it's citizens- if it has that little care for it's
people, why wouldn't it launch some nukes?

Is the US perfect? No. Is it a democratic, accountable country? Largely, yes.
There is no perfect system of government, and people should stop pretending
that everyone is on the same moral level.

~~~
Volpe
That's misrepresenting US to suit US propaganda.

The US leveled two countries in order to assassinate someone in a third
country. It wasn't held accountable at all.

You are right, morally they are not on the same level, but not the way you
think they aren't.

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kposehn
I think it should be pointed out here that the NK regime is not actually
crazy, they simply are very skilled at acting in such a way to extract
concessions and aid to keep the regime intact.

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Volpe
Why is it wrong that NK do Nuclear testing?

I agree NK has some human rights issues, that should be addressed, but testing
nuclear weapons is no different to Pakistan or India, and there are no
sanctions against them.

~~~
mikegioia
It's the manner with which they're conducting the tests. Do you think nuclear
testing should be done in private by an authoritarian regime, or do you think
it should be done with the acceptance and supervision of the world's
scientists?

~~~
defrost
In their last round of tests neither Pakistan nor India performed them "with
the acceptance and supervision of the world's scientists".

US intelligence was completely wrongfooted at the time of India's five
Pokhran-II tests.

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thoughtcriminal
God how I wish the North Korean regime would be wiped off the face of the
planet.

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everettkhurst
I hope they blew themselves up.

~~~
Volpe
Your comment is an example of why this kind of propaganda works. People start
hating another country they've (likely) never been to, and likely have no
understanding of their motives.

~~~
ryanhuff
I assume that you know that the OPer has no personal linkage to, or
understanding of, the Korean situation? Or did you make a convenient
assumption?

~~~
Volpe
You'll note my use of the word "likely".

Happy to be refuted.

~~~
ryanhuff
"Likely" and unsubstantiated guess aren't the same thing.

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guimarin
This is sensationalist news at its finest. There is only one way to confirm
that a nuclear bomb test has occurred and it is not by measuring 'resulting'
earthquakes. Until either the US Gov't or the very top at the IAEA states
there was a successful test, this is nothing but linkbait. Frankly, given the
tensions right now between the North and South, and that it seems the North,
with the Passing of Kim Jung Il, might be more willing to open up, I find this
type of reporting and grandstanding for views really infuriating.

/rant

~~~
cjensen
An earthquake 1000m below the surface on Nuclear Test Road (not a joke: type
the coordinates into Google Maps) which occurs after a week of nuclear test
threats and has a slightly larger magnitude than the last North Korean test is
unlikely to be a coincidence.

~~~
guimarin
I'm positive that North Korea wants the world to believe that they're testing
nuclear weapons, because that is their only bargaining card, but that doesn't
mean they made a successful test.

~~~
nikatwork
NK stated they would perform a nuke test on this date and location.

Which do you think is more likely, a) the tremors are from a nuke test b) Kim
Jong performed a mystical ancient Korean wardance that happened to summon an
earthquake at the designated time and place?

