S. Korea ‘strongly’ condemns N. Korea nuclear bomb test

People walk by a screen showing the news reporting about an earthquake near North Korea’s nuclear facility, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. South Korean officials detected an “artificial earthquake” near North Korea’s main nuclear test site Wednesday, a strong indication that nuclear-armed Pyongyang had conducted its fourth atomic test. North Korea said it planned an “important announcement” later Wednesday. The letter read “5.1 Earthquake near North Korea’s nuclear facility.” AP Photo

SEOUL, South Korea—South Korea on Wednesday “strongly” condemned North Korea’s shock announcement that it had carried out a hydrogen bomb test and vowed to take “all necessary measures” to penalise its nuclear-armed neighbor.

READ: North Korea says it successfully tested hydrogen bomb

“We strongly condemn that North Korea carried out a fourth nuclear test in clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions, despite repeated warnings from us and the international community,” said a government statement read on television by the deputy head of the National Security Council (NSC).

President Park Geun-Hye had convened an emergency meeting of the NSC as soon as the test was announced.

READ: Nuclear blast eyed in 5.1-quake near North Korea test site

“We will take all necessary measures including additional sanctions by the UN Security Council… so that the North will pay the price for the nuclear test,” the statement said.

It made no mention of the North’s claim—regarded with scepticism by international experts—that Wednesday’s test was of a powerful hydrogen bomb.

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