Thermo test nuclear weapons expectedly led to a number of countries, including France and Japan, calling for an immediate emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. However, as you know, usually such meetings, as well as the resolutions adopted at them, have no effect on Pyongyang. This was confirmed, for example, by the recent rocket launch, when the rocket flew over Japan. And the explosion of a thermonuclear warhead proves that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un does not intend to compromise, but only aims to raise the stakes.
It is worth noting that the current test is not the first of its kind. Kim Jong-un announced that North Korea has a hydrogen (also known as thermonuclear) bomb back in 2015. And already at the beginning of 2016, Pyongyang announced the successful testing of this type of weapon. Many foreign experts then agreed that it was a nuclear bomb, not a hydrogen bomb - supposedly this was evidenced by the relatively low power of the explosion.
This time, however, there is less skepticism among foreign analysts. Japanese seismologists have already stated that the power of the earthquake caused by the explosion at the North Korean test site was ten times greater than during the previous testing of nuclear weapons in the DPRK (it took place on September 9, 2016).
The current hydrogen bomb test - and a successful one at that - is adding even more instability to the already tense situation on the Korean Peninsula. If earlier some experts questioned the fact that the DPRK has both a thermonuclear warhead and an intercontinental launch vehicle for it, now the opposite has been convincingly proven. And this is especially dangerous in a time when US President Donald Trump is increasingly declaring that it is impossible to resolve the North Korean problem through diplomacy.
“By testing a hydrogen bomb, North Korea demonstrated high level their nuclear technologies,” noted an expert from the board of the Military-Industrial Commission of the Russian Federation in an interview with MK Victor MURAKHOVSKY. - The mock-up of a warhead with a thermonuclear charge shown by the North Korean side is quite suitable for installation on their Hwangsong-12 medium-range missiles. This rocket was recently tested once again - it flew over Japan and covered 2,700 km. In principle, its range is 4000 km, and to the American base in Guam (Pyongyang has repeatedly threatened to attack it. - "MK") from North Korea - 3200 km. Most likely, serial production of the Hwangsong-12 has already been established in the DPRK. However, the demonstrated warhead is also suitable for operational-tactical missiles. Having mastered the technology for producing a thermonuclear charge, the DPRK is no longer limited in the power of its bombs - that is, they will be able to produce (and perhaps are already producing) megaton-class warheads. “Classical” nuclear weapons have power limitations, but thermonuclear weapons (all modern ammunition is exactly like this) do not. By the way, according to expert estimates, during the latest tests in the DPRK, a charge with a capacity of about 50 kilotons was detonated.”
On September 3, North Korea conducted its sixth full-fledged nuclear test. About the fact that it could be blown up, however, the North Koreans would not be themselves if they had not prepared a lot of surprises this time. An expert on the website of the Zvezda TV channel, Vladimir Khrustalev, examines in detail the nuclear test of North Korea. Sunday morning shock On Sunday morning, even before the test took place, the North Korean media stunned the world with a sensation. The main news agency of the DPRK published photographs showing a thermonuclear charge. And not just a thermonuclear charge, but one suitable for installation on a ballistic missile. The Hwasong-14 intercontinental missile was primarily named as the launch vehicle. This was indicated by photographs where a diagram for installing a charge in the head of a ballistic missile was visible, and the caption above the diagram also indicated the type of carrier. Most likely, the photo showed a mock-up of the device, and not the device itself, since some details in the high-quality photographs looked strange for real charge. And, on the other hand, the equipped thermonuclear charge as part of the structure has a number of elements that require, due to safety precautions, caution and access to the charge only by specialists. We are talking about the possible presence of a plutonium part in the assembled structure (plutonium creates a noticeable level of ionizing radiation ), a deuterium-tritium gas mixture (tritium is also not particularly good for health), as well as the mandatory presence there of a system for detonating the nuclear unit of the structure. The composition of the nuclear unit also necessarily includes a layer of conventional explosive and a system for its detonation. In other words, this part requires careful handling, even if radioactive materials are not placed in the structure. The device itself, which received the name “peanut” among Western experts due to its shape, and “dumbbell” among Russians, really looks like a thermonuclear charge. It clearly shows the external automation unit, connected by cables to the main part, which includes the nuclear (the one that makes up the larger half of the “dumbbell”) and thermonuclear nodes (the “smaller” half). The activation of the first creates conditions for the operation of the second with a large release of energy. No one except the developers knows what is inside the device itself. And the point here is not that the design is strange or that the experts remain silent. Everything is simpler: there are several workable versions of the device shown. What is even more interesting: official materials reported that the device has more than one operation mode. That is, at reduced and at rated power. There are different options for solving this problem, but the main thing is that, in general, there is nothing supernatural in creating a device with two operating modes. 
Of course, like any announcement from the DPRK, this “leak of information” gave rise to fierce debate on the topic of how realistic this demonstration is and when to expect tests. Among smart experts (those whose predictions regarding military programs usually came true), a consensus emerged in the very first hours: “If the North Koreans have succeeded in working on thermonuclear charges, there must be a successful test.” Moreover, the key feature should be an abnormal power compared to past tests. Since the end of 2016, attempts have been made to guess what a thermonuclear breakthrough by the DPRK would look like for external observers. The answer was simple. The observed magnitude of the test will be 5.7 conventional units or greater. And if it’s 6 or more, then it’s definitely something thermonuclear. In general, everyone began to wait for the test, but no one expected that it would happen a few hours after the announcement of photographs of the thermonuclear charge. Nuclear "seismic event" Sunday's test was an immediate shock. From the USA and China, reports began to come in about the maximum measured power of the tremors at the level of 6.3 conventional units. Other countries have measured tremors ranging from 5.7 to 6.3. According to reports from some seismic stations, they observed a seismic event in the DPRK with a parameter of 6.4 conventional units. Such a strong difference is normal. The fact is that the lithosphere is a less homogeneous medium than the hydrosphere, so vibrations propagate differently, which means that in different directions and at different distances there will be certain differences in the received signals. 
The second problem is that, depending on the depth, even at the same test site, an explosion of the same power (in TNT equivalent) will also produce “seismic events” of different recorded power. The third problem is that only the North Koreans know the power of the explosion quite accurately specialists. Since the conversion of measured seismic parameters into kilotons of TNT largely depends on what correction factors are used for calculations. But this does not mean that nothing can be said about this. First, a significant fact should be noted: the lowest theoretical limit on the explosion power is not below 50 kt. Moreover, this is clearly with all permissible theoretical underestimations. They insist on a figure of 50 kt in South Korea. But Seoul's estimates always show signs of deliberate severe underestimation. Yes, and they are made on the basis of signals less powerful than those recorded in other directions from the DPRK nuclear test site (geological features). Secondly, most open estimates by independent experts give 100 kt and higher as the most probable figure. So the Norwegian NORSAR gave an estimate of 120 kt, Chinese geologists - 108 kt. Among American experts, the interval of 100-150 kt is considered the most reliable. 
Thirdly, there is an indirect sign. Seismic echoes were noticeably felt not only in China. In other countries closest to North Korea, at a time roughly coinciding with the explosion in the DPRK, users began writing on social networks that they felt a slight vibration in the house. Of course, many did not feel or notice anything, because the strength of the vibrations was not so great (the type of soil on which the building or the observer was located directly plays a serious role here), but still there are witnesses to this phenomenon. The distance at which the echoes were observed from an explosion, indicates the approximate level of energy release during an explosion. This is definitely a different order of power than in all previous tests. What does a nuclear test mean for North Korea? First of all, what can confidently be said about huge success Military-industrial complex of the DPRK. North Korean nuclear scientists have managed to radically improve the quality parameters of their charges, both in terms of increasing the achieved power by an order of magnitude and in terms of the power per unit weight of the charge. Secondly, this means radically different possibilities for causing damage to the aggressor during retaliatory nuclear missile strikes. Bombs of “Hiroshima power” do not look as menacing to modern cities as they did decades ago. But thermonuclear charges, with their power, are capable of quite confidently causing enormous destruction over long distances in modern large cities, built mainly of reinforced concrete. This means that in order to cause obviously unacceptable damage, it is necessary that fewer charges break through the missile defense system than with an order of magnitude lower power of warheads. And the presence of such an enemy’s ability to cause damage usually greatly reduces the desire to attack him. 
Thirdly, thermonuclear charges are the best (possible) generators of electromagnetic pulse. Detonation of a thermonuclear charge at a suitable height can cause damage to electrical and electronic equipment over an area of a million square kilometers or more. In this case, there is no direct damage to people by the shock wave and light radiation. A kind of opposite neutron bomb from urban legends, which supposedly kills people while preserving material values. Only here the infrastructure, communications, machines and equipment are turned off. But people are not amazed. And this does not count the damage to the orbital group. An ideal weapon against advanced opponents, especially the most technologically advanced, completely immersed in the “digital era.” Moreover, to detonate a charge at altitudes of 100 km and above, it is not necessary to have even proven warheads that can survive all the overloads when descending in the atmosphere. The corresponding explosion is carried out outside the atmosphere. This possibility was mentioned in materials released shortly before the test. “Our thermonuclear charge, the power of which can be adjusted from tens of kilotons to hundreds of kilotons, not only has enormous destructive power, but is also a multifunctional thermonuclear warhead, which can also deliver a super-powerful electromagnetic strike over vast distances by detonating a charge at a high altitude,” wrote the North Korean media. 
Fourthly, the presence of such an option as choosing the power of the explosion creates high possibilities for choosing different targets for the optimal format of destruction with the same warhead “for the task.” This means that in the future it will greatly increase the flexibility of the nuclear arsenal. This was directly stated in the corresponding statement following the test results. “Success in testing a thermonuclear charge for equipping ICBMs is a demonstration of the qualitative development of nuclear forces, when it is possible to freely control the power of a thermonuclear charge depending on the object and target of the strike. This is a very significant milestone in the improvement of nuclear armed forces,” wrote the North Korean press. Fifthly, for the creation of effective intercontinental nuclear missile weapons, a compact and powerful thermonuclear unit is a critically important stage. North Korea has already successfully tested the Hwasong-14 missile twice in July. And now the fusion unit has also been tested. This test was carried out to confirm the operation and reliability of new technologies used in the power control system and the design of a new design for installation in combat unit intercontinental ballistic missile. So the United States and its allies can now be sincerely congratulated. Their policy towards the DPRK was crowned with another resounding “success”.
The world is one step closer to a local nuclear conflict that could break out between the United States and North Korea. Despite sanctions and open threats from Washington, Pyongyang conducted another test, and not a nuclear weapons launch vehicle, but a test of a full-fledged hydrogen bomb.
Korean hydrogen bomb is 5 times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
And this is no longer the empty boast of Pyongyang, which previously unreasonably scared the world with its nuclear weapons. But this time the experts are unanimous - the DPRK really has a thermonuclear bomb.
First, the North Korean news agency KCNA reported that North Korean scientists allegedly managed to create a hydrogen bomb, and posted a photo in which the device was shown to the country's leader Kim Jong-un. The agency's report said that the warhead's yield could reach hundreds of kilotons of TNT, and that all components for its production were made in the DPRK, which would allow the country to create as many nuclear weapons as it wanted.
And immediately after the test itself, seismologists recorded an earthquake on the territory of the DPRK, the source of which was on the surface of the earth. According to various sources, the magnitude ranged from 5.6 to 6.3, but all seismological services agree that the earthquake could have been artificial.
According to the BBC, seismic services from the US, China and South Korea note that the source of the earthquake was at a depth of “zero kilometers,” that is, on the surface, which does not happen during natural earthquakes. And the earthquake itself occurred in Kilju County, which is home to the North Korean nuclear test site Punggye-ri, where the DPRK conducted all its previous tests.
According to the South Korean Yonhap news agency, the yield of the nuclear explosion in North Korea was 100 kilotons, which is five times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
North Korea first reported conducting a nuclear test in 2006. At that time, many experts doubted that the explosion was truly nuclear, since its power was relatively low. Since then, North Korea has conducted four more nuclear tests, all of which have come under criticism from the international community. A number of sanctions were also imposed on Pyongyang. If the cause of the current earthquake really turns out to be nuclear tests, they will officially become the sixth for the DPRK.
Trump threatens Pyongyang with nuclear weapons
This direct threat from Korean nuclear weapons has led to the fact that the conflict itself has already gone beyond the confrontation between only the United States and North Korea and threatens a very real local nuclear conflict. Donald Trump has already stated that the United States intends to defend itself and its allies, using the full range of capabilities, both diplomatic and nuclear.
"South Korea is becoming convinced, as I have already told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing!" Trump wrote, apparently referring to military force.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the international community to respond with "maximum firmness" to North Korea's latest nuclear test. As Le Figaro reports from the press service of the Elysee Palace, the French President called on members of the UN Security Council to quickly and decisively respond to “a new violation by North Korea international law, the nuclear non-proliferation regime and Security Council resolutions." And the UN Security Council met on this issue for another emergency meeting and is deciding what to do to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program.
What the Western press writes
La Repubblica
So, North Korea supposedly became a member of the “nuclear club”. That is, that narrow circle of countries that can boast of having in their arsenals one or more hydrogen bombs, thousands of times more powerful than the shells that leveled Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
A hydrogen bomb is more difficult to make than an atomic bomb. However, it is within the reach of a country that invests most of its resources in weapons. And the physics you need to master is very old: it is taught as part of regular university courses
Experts from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) experts confirm that an “unusual seismic event” measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale occurred in North Korea.” A comparison of data regarding seismic waves not only ruled out the possibility of a natural earthquake, but also made it possible to establish the location of the explosion: it occurred many kilometers to the northwest relative to the sites chosen by Pyongyang for tests, which followed each other from 2006 to last year.
KP Help
A hydrogen or thermonuclear bomb is a type of nuclear weapon whose destructive power is based on the use of the energy of the nuclear fusion reaction of light elements into heavier ones. The creator of the Soviet hydrogen bomb is academician Dmitry Sakharov. In the Soviet Union at the training ground New land In 1961, the hydrogen Tsar Bomb was tested. The blast wave circled the earth 3 times, and animals died within a radius of 700 kilometers due to exposure to radiation.
A hydrogen bomb differs from an atomic bomb in its greater power and area of destruction. The atomic bomb, so to speak, is more “primitive”.
When a 50 megaton hydrogen bomb explodes:
Fireball: 4.5 -5 kilometers in diameter.
Sound wave: the explosion can be heard from a distance of 800 kilometers.
Energy: from the released energy, a person can get burns to the skin, being up to 100 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion.
Nuclear mushroom: height is more than 70 km in height, the radius of the cap is about 50 km.
Atomic bombs of such power have never been detonated before. There are indicators of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, but its size was significantly inferior to the hydrogen discharge described above. When an atomic bomb explodes:
Fireball: diameter about 300 meters.
Nuclear mushroom: height 12 km, radius of the cap - about 5 km.
Energy: the temperature at the center of the explosion reached 3000C°.
Now in service nuclear powers It's the hydrogen bombs that are worth it. In addition to the fact that they are superior in their characteristics to their “small brothers”, they are much cheaper to produce.