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North Korea 'hydrogen bomb test': World condemns 'illegal and dangerous' claims over nuclear weapon - as it happened

If verified, the test will be the fourth time the state has exploded a nuclear weapon

Lizzie Dearden,Steve Anderson
Wednesday 06 January 2016 02:41 EST
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South Korean Foreign Ministry officials attend an emergency meeting after the announcement
South Korean Foreign Ministry officials attend an emergency meeting after the announcement (AP)

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North Korea claims to have carried out its first successful test of a hydrogen bomb.

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If confirmed, the test would mark a significant advance in the isolated state's strike capabilities and raising alarm bells in Japan and South Korea.

The UN Security Council is planning to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the reported test, the US mission to the United Nations said.

The test, the fourth time North Korea has exploded a nuclear device, was ordered by young leader Kim Jong-Un, state media said.

“The first H-bomb test was successfully conducted at 10:00 (0130 GMT) on Wednesday,” North Korea's official KCNA news agency said.

The claim of miniaturising, which would allow the device to be adapted as a weapon and placed on a missile, would pose a new threat to the United States and its regional allies, Japan and South Korea.

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