BEIJING, May 25 (Xinhua) -- China was resolutely
opposed to the nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),
the Foreign Ministry said here in a statement Monday.
According to a report by the official Korean Central
News Agency (KCNA), the DPRK announced it successfully conducted an underground
nuclear test on Monday.
"The DPRK ignored universal opposition of the
international community and once more conducted the nuclear test. The Chinese
government is resolutely opposed to it," the statement said.
It has been the firm and consistent stance of the
Chinese government to achieve non-nuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and
oppose proliferation of nuclear weapons in an effort to maintain peace and
stability in northeast Asia, the statement stressed.
The statement voiced a strong demand that the DPRK
live up to its commitment to non-nuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, stop
any activity that might worsen the situation and return to the track of the
six-party talks.
The statement noted that maintaining peace and
stability in northeast Asia region conformed to the common interests of all
parties concerned, called for a calm response from all parties concerned and
urged them to pursue peaceful resolution of the issue through consultation and
dialogue.
China would continue its unremitting efforts to this
end, the statement added.
According to a statement released by the KCNA, the
DPRK government said the test was "part of [its] measures to bolster its nuclear
deterrent for self-defense in every way, as requested by its scientists and
technicians."
The brief statement gave no details about the test,
including its location.
Officials in the Republic of Korea said earlier
Monday that an "artificial earthquake" was detected near the northeastern town
of Kilju, about 10 km from the site where the DPRK staged its first nuclear test
in October 2006.
PYONGYANG, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK) said on Monday it has successfully conducted "one more"
underground nuclear test earlier in the day.
In a statement released by the official news agency
KCNA, the DPRK government said the test was "part of the measures to bolster up
its nuclear deterrent for self-defence in every way as requested by its
scientists and technicians." Full story
SEOUL, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK) test fired two additional missiles off its east coast on Monday
amid heightened tension over its second nuclear test, South Korea's Yonhap News
Agency quoted an anonymous source report.
The launch came after the country fired a short-range
missile off its east coast base around noon, the source said. Full story
SEOUL, May 25 (Xinhua) -- South Korea will prevent
its civilians from visiting the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, excluding
the Kaesong Joint Complex, for safety reasons, starting from Tuesday, the
nation's unification ministry said Monday.
Unification ministry spokesperson Chun Hae-sung said,
"Visits to the North (DPRK) will be banned for the time being due to safety
concerns as the country has conducted a nuclear test." Full story
WASHINGTON, May 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack
Obama said on Monday that the nuclear test and the short-range missile launch
conducted by the DPRK on Monday were "of grave concern to all nations."
In a statement, Obama said Pyongyang "is directly and
recklessly challenging the international community," and the new move "increases
tensions and undermines stability in Northeast Asia." Full story
WASHINGTON, May 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack
Obama on Monday accused the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) of"
recklessly challenging the international community" with its latest underground
nuclear test.
"The danger posed by North Korea (DPRK)'s threatening
activities warrants action by the international community," Obama said in a
statement. Full story
WASHINGTON, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The United States is
consulting with allies on DPRK's fresh nuclear test, an anonymous State
Department official told reporters late Sunday.
The official said the department is establishing the
facts and will have more to say. Full story
MOSCOW, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Defense Ministry
confirmed Monday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted
an underground nuclear test earlier in the day, Russian news agencies reported.
"Yes, indeed, our national facilities fixed the fact
of a nuclear test in North Korea. Now we are analyzing data on the test. The
power of the nuclear explosion is being specified," the Itar-Tass news agency
reported citing a defense ministry source. Full story
MOSCOW, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Russia urges the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to demonstrate responsibility, the
Interfax news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry as saying on Monday.
The ministry said in a statement that the nuclear
problem on Korean peninsula can only be solved through six-party talks. Full story
HANOI, May 25 (Xinhua)-- Japan strongly protested
against the nuclear testing conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK) earlier on Monday, said Japanese foreign ministry spokesperson
Kazuo Kodama here on Monday.
Kodama made the remarks to Xinhua reporter at a
working lunch on the sideline of the 9th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Full story
TOKYO, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government has set
up a special task force at the emergency management center of Prime Minister
Taro Aso's office after Pyongyang reportedly conducted a nuclear test Monday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said that the
DPRK's nuclear test is not to be tolerated.
And Japan will take decisive measures, the top
government spokesman added. Full story
TOKYO, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Vice Defense Minister Kohei
Masuda said Japan will take samples from the air over Japan to determine if any
radioactive material has been emitted into the air following Pyongyang's nuclear
test on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada
convened an emergency meeting with senior officials of the ministry and
theSelf-Defense Forces to discuss information gathered on the Pyongyang's
nuclear test, said Masuda. Full story
SEOUL, May 25 (Xinhua) -- South Korean and Japanese
foreign ministers said Monday that they would pursue UN-level punishment against
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s second nuclear test, South
Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.
The agreement was reached at a meeting held between South
Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and his Japanese counterpart Hirofumi
Nakasone in Hanoi, Vietnam on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM). Full story
LONDON, May 25 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister
Gordon Brown condemned "in the strongest terms" a new nuclear test conducted by
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday.
Brown said "this act will undermine prospects for
peace on the Korean Peninsula and will do nothing for North Korea's
security." Full story
BERLIN, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The German government on
Monday condemned the latest nuclear test by the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK), saying it was a provocation.
In a statement read out by Foreign Ministry spokesman
Jens Ploetner here in Berlin, the German government accused the test of
violating relevant resolutions of the United Nations (UN) and posing a threat to
the peace and stability in the region. Full story
SEOUL, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean financial
market plunged late Monday morning as local media reported the news of
Democratic People's Republic of Korea's apparent nuclear test, South Korea's
Yonhap News Agency reported.
Earlier in the day South Korea's presidential office
said it has been reported of an "artificial earthquake" in the DPRK, seemingly
caused by a nuclear test. Full story
NEW DELHI, May 25 (Xinhua) -- India Monday voiced deep
concern over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's underground nuclear
test, saying New Delhi is against "nuclear proliferation".
"It is a development of serious concern. India is against
nuclear proliferation," Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony told the media. Full story
VIENNA, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Peter Shannon, chairman of
the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
Organization (CTBTO) for 2009, expressed serious concern over the nuclear test
conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday.
According to CTBTO's statement released on Monday,
Ambassador Shannon said that DPRK's nuclear test is "a clear challenge to the
international community's efforts to advance global nuclear disarmament and
non-proliferation." Full story
