Tremor detected near N. Korea nuclear site

Seoul, Sep 23: A 3.0 magnitude earthquake was detected near North Korea's nuclear test site on Saturday, South Korea's weather agency said.

The tremor occurred at 5.29 p.m., some 20 km southeast of the country's Punggye-ri nuclear site, where the regime conducted its sixth nuclear test on September 3, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

"The quake has been analysed to have occurred naturally," an agency official was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency. "A sound wave, which is usually generated in the event of an artificial earthquake, was not detected."

The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) said that it detected two seismic events in North Korea, but they were "unlikely (to have been) man-made".



But Japan's Kyodo News earlier reported that a 3.4 magnitude earthquake was detected at a depth of zero kilometres near the North's nuke test site, citing China's quake agency.

It said that it was thought to be an artificial quake caused by a "suspected explosion".

The quake occurred at a sensitive time when North Korea is likely to commit further provocative acts after its leader Kim Jong-un pledged to retaliate against the US.

Kim vowed to take the "highest-level" action in response to US President Donald Trump's threat at the UN to "totally destroy" the North over its nuclear and missile programmes.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said later in New York that Pyongyang may consider its most powerful test of a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific Ocean.

The North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September. It claimed that it had detonated a hydrogen bomb for an intercontinental ballistic missile.

China announced on Saturday that it will limit exports of petroleum products to North Korea starting in October to implement the latest UN sanctions over Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test.