North Korea conducted its fifth and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 8.
The test was met with international condemnation and calls for increased sanctions on North Korea. Russia issued “the strongest possible condemnation,” and both Japan and the United States condemned the test in “the strongest possible terms” in official statements following the test. The UN Security Council convened on Sept. 9 in an emergency session to discuss the test.
“The test explosion is yet another unpleasant reminder that the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear program continues to grow. Current international efforts to constrain Pyongyang’s nuclear and ballistic missile activities are woefully inadequate” asserted Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association and Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association in a Sept. 9 statement.
Kimball and Davenport recommended that the United States engage in diplomatic dialogue with North Korea to freeze its nuclear testing. International support for the prompt entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty is critical in light of this most recent test, claimed the experts.