By Cynthia Moberly, News Editor
North Korea continues to pose a threat to not only South Korea, but now the United States with the recent testing of a hydrogen bomb. North Korea now claims that with this recent test, they could “wipe out” the United States.
According to reports by the New York Times, North Korean officials are also saying that the test was not meant to threaten the United States but instead “build a nuclear force to cope with the U.S. ever-more undisguised hostile policy toward the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”
Officials are also questioning the size of the blast, as reports by seismic monitors have been smaller than a more powerful hydrogen bomb. In response to this nuclear test, South Korea played K-Pop, and news reports into North Korea.
A senior advisor from the Asan Institute told CNN that the broadcasting of music and South Korean news reports could be “the most dangerous virus that could destroy the North Korean regime or the foundations, ideological theocratic foundations of the North Korean regime, is the truth about North Korea, truth about the outside world.”
North Korea had performed other nuclear tests in the past. One such test that was performed this past Friday was filmed but the film was highly edited so experts are skeptical if this test was successful.
Other action has been taken towards North Korea because of nuclear testing in the past. Sanctions have been placed on North Korea because of nuclear testing in 2013, but since Wednesday’s new tests, South Korean President Park Geun-hye has asked Chinese officials to place stronger sanctions on North Korea. Because of this, the United States is working with Chinese and Japanese officials to negotiate what these new sanctions will be.
Currently, the proposals for sanctions are “ranging from providing South Korea with terminal high altitude area defense missiles to pushing China to cut off North Korea’s access to Chinese banks,” according to CNN.
Tensions are high between the two countries because of recent reports that a North Korean aircraft flying into South Korean air space this past Wednesday. South Korean forces had to fire warning shots at the aircraft, which caused it to turn and fly back towards North Korea.
According to CNN, the purpose of this incident “was either surveillance or instigation by North Korea.” North Korea has been provoking South Korea, which has caused American involvement in the situation. The US Defense Department is monitoring the situation because they are “concerned that additional North Korean provocations could heighten tensions, lead to a cycle of escalation,” according to CNN.