North Korea today detonated a hydrogen bomb sparking a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake amid an 'escalating' nuclear crisis.
The terrifying tremor was detected in the northeast of the country where the Punggye-ri test site is located - but was so strong that it shook buildings in China and Russia.
State television claimed the country's sixth nuclear test - 10 times more powerful than its fifth - was a 'perfect success' and could pave the way for a frightening new range of missiles loaded with hydrogen bombs.
It added that the underground test - which was directly ordered by leader Kim Jong-un - was a 'meaningful' step in completing the country's nuclear weapons programme.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson condemned the 'reckless' nuclear weapon test and stressed that 'all options are on the table' when pressed on military action.
But he warned: 'The distance between North Korea and Seoul is very very small - they could basically vaporise large parts of the South Korean population even with conventional weapons.'
The recent development comes amid heightened tensions following Pyongyang's test launch of two missiles in July that potentially could hit major mainland US cities.
Jong-un claims the latest explosive - which seismologists calculated to be eight times as damaging as the Hiroshima nuclear bomb dropped by the US in World War II - could be packed into a warhead and fired towards US territory.
The sudden escalation comes after months of postulating from North Korea and America with a war of words between the two countries spiralling into a series of escalating weapons tests by Pyongyang.
It has seen Jong-un flaunting his military might with increasingly powerful missiles in a bid to scare off his enemies - while branding world leaders 'puppets' and bragging that an attempt to locate his missiles was a 'silly dream'.
Meanwhile Donald Trump had promised 'fire and fury like the world has never seen' if North Korea continued to test missiles.
Today's blast - which was large enough to destroy an entire city - has sparked an international backlash with South Korea pledging to 'completely' isolate North Korea and deploy the most powerful US tactical weapons.
In a joint statement, German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Emmanuel Macron branded the test a 'new dimension of provocation' and said the EU and the UN security council must respond.
US National Security Adviser HR McMaster spoke to his South Korean counterpart in an emergency phone call following the test, which was seen as a direct challenge to Trump.
The American President had just hours earlier talked to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about the nuclear crisis in the region.
Abe later slammed the test as 'absolutely unacceptable' and said its nuclear and missile programmes now pose a 'more grave and urgent' threat to his country.
He added: 'North Korea's nuclear and missile development programme is a threat that is more grave and urgent to the safety of our country and has entered a new stage.
'It is significantly hurting regional and international peace and stability.'
China added that it 'resolutely opposes' and 'strongly condemns' the test while urging the rogue state to 'stop taking wrong actions'.
President Trump on Sunday responded to North Korea’s nuclear test, calling it “very hostile and dangerous” to the United States.
The rogue nation claimed it detonated a hydrogen bomb with "perfect success," carrying out its sixth nuclear test that drew immediate condemnation from its neighbors. Trump said on Twitter the rogue nation's actions were "hostile and dangerous."
“North Korea has conducted a major nuclear test,” Trump said in a series of tweet. “Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2017
Such efforts have also sparked a war of words between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that has created global concerns about either side taking military action in response.
“North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success,” Trump also tweeted Sunday.
The president also commented on South Korea's "appeasement" toward North Korea
"South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing!" Trump wrote on Twitter.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe immediately condemned the test, calling it "absolutely unacceptable." South Korea's National Security Director Chung Eui-yong said Sunday President Moon Jae-in is looking to respond to the test with the strongest measures possible. He said Moon will seek every available diplomatic measure, including new sanctions from the United Nations Security Council.
Trump issued a stern response to the tests early August and vowed to unleash "fire and fiery." In return, North Korea said it intended to attack Guam, a U.S. territory and the home to key U.S. military bases. The North eventually pulled back its "plan" to launch missiles toward Guam, though Kim eerily said last week's missile launch was a "meaningful prelude" to eventually containing the U.S. territory.
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