Nuclear bomb explosion in the Pacific - North Korea's scary move

Detonating a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific would demonstrate the success of North Korea's nuclear program, but it is a risky move.

North Korea may use the Hwasong-12 missile to carry a thermonuclear warhead. Photo: Reuters

North Korean Foreign MinisterRi Yong-ho said on September 21 that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is considering testing an "unprecedentedly large hydrogen bomb" over the Pacific Ocean, in response to US President Donald Trump's threatening speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

Detonating a nuclear-tipped missile over the Pacific would be a logical next step for North Korea, demonstrating its success in developing weapons. However, arms control experts say it would be extremely dangerous and highly provocative, Reuters reported.

"This could mean that Pyongyang will launch a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) or a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) carrying a nuclear warhead, then detonate it at an altitude of several hundred kilometers above the Pacific Ocean," said Yang Uk, a researcher at the Korea Defense and Security Forum.

Mr. Yang Uk said that North Korea may be playing the wind, but they still need to test the ability to mount nuclear warheads on missiles. "North Korea may have planned in advance and used President Trump's statement as an excuse to launch a missile," Mr. Yang said.

If Pyongyang's claim comes true, it would be the first atmospheric nuclear test in nearly 40 years. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the last atmospheric test was in 1980, when China tested a thermonuclear warhead.

Tests of nuclear-armed ballistic missiles are even rarer. The United States has conducted only one, a submarine-launched missile in the Pacific Ocean in October 1962. China was widely condemned for conducting a similar test at Lop Nur in 1966. All six of North Korea’s nuclear tests have been underground.

"We have to assume that they have the capability to do so, but it would be too provocative. Putting a nuclear warhead on a missile that has only been tested a few times, flying it over populated areas... If things don't go as planned, it would be a world-changing event," said Professor Vipin Narang at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US.

The successful tests of ICBM and IRBM show Pyongyang's unexpected progress. Photo: Reuters

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles over Hokkaido, northern Japan, last month, a series of tests that showed surprisingly rapid progress in Pyongyang's weapons program.

"When they say Pacific, it means the missile will fly over Japan. North Korea wants to end any doubts about their ability to build IRBMs and ICBMs," researcher Melissa Hanham said.

Ballistic missiles would be the optimal delivery method for North Korea’s nuclear warheads. It could also place a hydrogen bomb on a ship and detonate it. Either option would have serious environmental and diplomatic consequences. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has called North Korea’s missile launch over Japanese territory “absolutely unacceptable.”

Professor Narang said that detonating a nuclear bomb at high altitude would limit the spread of radioactive fallout, but would risk destroying all electrical equipment due to an electromagnetic pulse (EMP). North Korea has threatened to use EMP weapons to attack the US and its allies.

"If the test goes off-course and the warhead detonates at a low altitude, we will see some EMP effects and severe damage to the natural environment," Narang said.

Why North Korea keeps testing ballistic missiles

North Korea has tested 22 ballistic missiles this year as it works to perfect its ability to develop a nuclear weapon capable of hitting the US mainland. If Kim Jong-un’s threat comes to fruition, it would mark a shift in China’s policy and prompt more countries to demand an end to North Korea’s leadership.

Some experts say Pyongyang will not rush to conduct an atmospheric nuclear test for technical reasons and diplomatic risks. "I would be very surprised if this is Pyongyang's next step. They have not yet tested an ICBM at full range over the Pacific, which would be a necessary first step," concludes Joshua Pollack.

According to VNE