North Korea Successfully Tests H-Bomb; The World Responds

Just hours before North Korea launched it's successful Hydrogen Bomb test, pictures of Kim Jong Un were passed around in North Korean State Media to make him look like he actually understands what kind of science is going into the weapons of mass destruction that his rogue state has fast-tracked...

Look at that guy, looking like he knows what he's talking about. (Is it just me, or has he aged substantially? Maybe he knows something that we all don't? Or maybe all that excess radiation is getting to him?)

The explosion of the H-Bomb caused a 6.3 magnitude explosion, meaning explosive power of around 1 megaton. The tremor was 10 times more powerful than the tests conducted just 1 year ago. The primary threat of the H-Bomb is that it can create an EMP that could devastate electrical grids if launched properly.

North Korea state media confirmed the test was a "perfect success." Similar ICBM tests were made last year in which North Korea claimed to have an H-Bomb tested, but explosive tests on the Richter scale seemed to suggest that the explosion fell short of the power required to be an actual H-Bomb. In this case, it seems likely that yesterday's test was, indeed, an H-Bomb as North Korea claims.

As a result, the world community has responded in force...

• Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his country would work together with the U.S., South Korea, China and Russia on a response to the apparent nuclear test. “We can never accept it. We will need to make a strong protest,” Mr. Abe said.
• Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said the H-Bomb might have been as powerful as 70 kilotons. North Korea's previous largest was thought to be anywhere from 10-30 kilotons. "We cannot deny it was an H-bomb test," Onodera said.
• The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, said the nuclear test was “an extremely regrettable act” that was “in complete disregard of the repeated demands of the international community."
• One day prior to the test, Russian President Vladimir warned that the US and North Korea are “balancing on the verge of a large-scale conflict."
• When asked whether he would attack North Korea in response to these nuclear test, Trump responded, "we'll see." (He won't, as it would likely provoke a massive counterattack on the South Korean peninsula and Japanese islands.)
• Trump has announced it may cut all trade ties with countries continuing to do business with North Korea (likely China, Russia and Iran)...which could be the pretext to a larger trade war.
• Trump released a tweet stating "this is an embarrassment to China."
• U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said: "Any threat to the United States or its territories including Guam or our allies will be met with a massive military response."
• China's foreign ministry released a statement via it's website: North Korea "has ignored the international community's widespread opposition, again carrying out a nuclear test. China's government expresses resolute opposition and strong condemnation toward this. We strongly urge the DPRK (North Korea) to face the strong will of denuclearisation from the international community, earnestly abide by the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, stop taking mistaken actions which worsen the situation and are also not in line with its own interests, and effectively return to the track of solving the problem through dialogue."
• China’s Nuclear Safety Administration said on Sunday that it would begin emergency monitoring for radiation along its northeastern border with North Korea.

Interestingly enough, North Korea launched these tests while China is hosting BRICS nations, a potential embarrassment for Chinese leader Xi as he seeks to consolidate power.

This is just the beginning of the next phase of sanctions and threats against the North Korean rogue state. Tensions seemed to die off in recent weeks, but North Korea has ensured everyone it wants to remain front and center in the news cycle by forcing the world to respond. They've even managed to piss off the Chinese - not that they'll do anything about it except write a strongly-worded letter telling everyone how angry they are.

All images and sources courtesy of Zero Hedge, and more recommended reading:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-02/north-korea-claims-have-developed-advanced-hydrogen-bomb
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-03/asked-if-hell-attack-north-korea-trump-responds-well-see
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-02/three-dangerous-delusions-about-korea