South Korea warns North over ‘imminent’ nuclear test

The US and South Korea today warned North Korea of “further consequences” if it carried out a third nuclear test.

It came as South Korea’s outgoing leader, Lee Myung-bak, suggested that Pyongyang could be working on “multiple nuclear tests at two places or more”. North Korea said last month that it was planning a “high-level nuclear test”.

On Sunday, the country’s leader Kim Jong-un issued “important” guidelines at a high-level government meeting, an indication that a test is imminent.

South Korea’s UN ambassador Kim Sook said yesterday that a nuclear test “seems to be imminent”. He said there were “very busy activities” taking place at North Korea’s nuclear test site “and everybody’s watching”.

Mr Kim said he expected the UN Security Council to respond with “firm and strong measures”.

North Korea said that it would conduct a nuclear test to protest against Security Council sanctions, which were strengthened after a satellite launch in December.

North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests before, in 2006 and 2009. Both followed the launch of long-range rockets, which were condemned by the UN as banned tests of missile technology.

Pyongyang has given no timeframe for the test, but analysts say satellite imagery indicates preparations at the test site in Punggye-ri are almost complete, with a tunnel in the mountainside apparently being sealed up, a key step before the test can take place.