'Dissecting' the bomb North Korea just tested

North Korea announced that it had successfully tested an H-bomb, and the incident immediately attracted public attention, especially from experts.

President Donald Trump described North Korea's "words and actions" as "continuing to be very dangerous to the United States."

Photo: Rodong Sinmun.

China strongly condemned North Korea's nuclear test, harshly criticizing Pyongyang for ignoring international opposition to its nuclear weapons program.

On its official website, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement stating that the Chinese government expressed resolute opposition and strong condemnation of Pyongyang's actions.

On the same day, South Korea pledged to push for the new and strongest sanctions by the United Nations Security Council to completely isolate Pyongyang.

South Korean experts and government agencies have given different assessments of the power of the device that North Korea claimed was an H-bomb, also known as a hydrogen bomb.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said the bomb's explosive power was five to six times stronger than the nuclear explosion North Korea conducted a year ago.

The Korea Herald quoted Kim Young-woo, a lawmaker and chairman of the National Assembly's Defense Committee, as describing it as "more powerful than the bomb dropped on Nagasaki by Japan. 4-5 times more powerful."

Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, estimated the bomb was about 60-80 kilotons.

"It seems that North Korea has once again made it clear that it wants to be recognized as a nuclear-armed state," said Park Jung-jin, a researcher at the Far Eastern Institute.

In a related development, Russian observers said radiation levels in the country's Far East remained "at normal levels" after North Korea announced it had tested an H-bomb.

According to information and accounts on social networks, North Korea's nuclear test was widely felt in northeastern China, and shook several cities in the country for 8 seconds.

According to Vietnamnet.vn