Israel condemns North Korea nuclear test, urges world to act

Israel on Friday joined the chorus of international condemnation of North Korea’s nuclear test earlier in the day.

“Israel condemns the nuclear test by North Korea,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The statement called the atomic tests “contrary to international norms and UN Security Council decisions,” and urged “continued action by the international community against proliferation” by Pyongyang.

North Korea claimed Friday it had successfully tested a nuclear warhead that could be mounted on a missile, drawing condemnation from the South over the “maniacal recklessness” of young ruler Kim Jong-un.

The blast at the Punggye-ri nuclear site was the North’s fifth and most powerful yet at 10 kilotons experts said.

“If we put that into perspective, it is smaller than Hiroshima or Nagasaki, but would still be capable of ripping the heart out of a city,” said Karl Dewey, an analyst at IHS Jane’s.

Pyongyang’s state media said the test, which comes after a series of ballistic missile launches, had realized the country’s goal of being able to fit a miniaturized warhead on a rocket.

“Our nuclear scientists staged a nuclear explosion test on a newly developed nuclear warhead at the country’s northern nuclear test site,” a North Korean TV presenter said.

“Our… party sent a congratulatory message to our nuclear scientists… for conducting the successful nuclear warhead explosion test,” said Ri Chun-Hee, a veteran who has delivered all the North’s biggest announcements.

The news drew swift condemnation from US President Barack Obama who warned of “serious consequences” and said he had called the leaders of South Korea and Japan to confer over the crisis.

The South’s President Park Geun-hye spoke out against the “maniacal recklessness” of Kim, who since taking control after the death of his father in 2011 has carried out a series of purges and weapons tests designed to show strength and consolidate power.

“Kim Jong-un’s regime will only earn more sanctions and isolation… and such provocation will further accelerate its path to self-destruction,” Park said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, meeting in Geneva, said they would refer the matter to the United Nations.

Japan condemned the test as “absolutely unacceptable” while the head of the UN atomic watchdog said it was a “clear violation” of numerous Security Council resolutions.

North Korea has been hit by five sets of United Nations sanctions since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006, but has insisted it will continue, come what may.

The nuclear program has gone alongside a series of ballistic missile launches, the latest of which took place on Monday even as world powers gathered for a G20 meeting in China.