Defiant North Korea says conducted nuclear test

By Staff
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SEOUL, Oct 9 (Reuters) North Korea today said it had safely and successfully carried out an underground nuclear test, flying in the face of a warning from the UN Security Council and opening its crippled economy to the risk of fresh sanctions.

South Korea's military ordered the army to step up a state of alert after Pyongyang announced its first-ever nuclear test, which brought unusual criticism from fellow communist China.

Pyongyang's move, which came as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived for a visit to Seoul, could heighten regional tensions and may come as a new foreign policy blow to US President George W Bush ahead of mid-term elections.

The news pushed the dollar to a seven-month high against the yen and helped shove oil above 60 dollars a barrel. In Seoul, the won fell more than one percent to one-month lows and the main stock index tumbled as much as 3.6 percent.

However, analysts did not expect a long-term economic impact.

''The economy of North Korea is virtually closed from the rest of the world and its regional impact won't be very significant unless there was a major military confrontation,'' said Wang Qing, an economist at Bank of America in Hong Kong.

The US Geological Survey said it had detected a 4.2 magnitude tremor in North Korea at 1035 hrs local time (0705 hrs ist) today, confirming a similar report from South Korea.

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said there was no leak or danger from its test, which South Korean officials said may have been conducted around Gilju, in the northeast of the country and close to the border with China.

''The nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology 100 percent,'' KCNA said.

''It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the KPA (Korean People's Army) and people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defence capability.'' Analysts say North Korea probably has enough fissile material to make six to eight nuclear bombs but probably does not have the technology to devise one small enough to mount on a missile.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said North Korea gave China a 20-minute warning of its test and China immediately told the United States, Japan and South Korea.

More Reuters DKA GC1217

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