As the world is talking about North Korea’s alleged Hydrogen bomb test, the leader Kim Jong Un called on his people to enter 2016 with a “thrilling sound” and made a declaration, which seems to have triggered grave concern among US and regional allies.
As the debate over North Korea’s nuclear capabilities rages on, here are some facts to know about the H-bomb.
1. Depending on a fusion reaction, Hydrogen bombs are much like nuclear bombs, but the bomb tested by North Korea is said to be 1000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
2. The Hydrogen Bomb tested by North Korea is the fourth nuclear test carried out in less than a decade, as the previous bombs tested in 2006, 2009 and 2013 were of capacity equal to those dropped in Japan.
3. Russia stated that, “all interested sides to preserve maximum restraint and to not take actions that could rouse the uncontrolled growth of tensions in Northeast Asia.”
4. A 22 year old North Korean student said, “Thanks to the fact that our country is a nuclear weapons state, I can study at the university without any worries. If we didn’t have powerful nuclear weapons, we would already have been turned into the slaves of the U.S.”
5. Takao Takahara, professor of international politics and peace research at Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo said, “In theory, the process is potentially infinite. The amount of energy is huge”, as the tests in North Korea triggered an earthquake of 5.1 magnitude.
Meanwhile as North Korea displayed it nuclear capability, nations around the world condemned the act, describing it as a violation of UN resolutions.