The North Korean nuclear test of May 25 is a deliberate, brazen challenge to the international community. Pyongyang had angrily denounced the Security Council’s April statement condemning its “satellite” launch (which the Security Council believes was a cover for a ballistic missile test), and had announced its intention to resume nuclear testing.

It intimated the US State Department one hour before the test. When they conducted the first nuclear test in October 2006, they had given prior notice to the Chinese. According to Russian monitors, this test was roughly the same magnitude as the Nagasaki bomb. This makes it a vast improvement in yield, as international observers estimated the last test at only one kiloton yield. The North Korean announcement referred to this weapon test’s higher technology. While this may be a follow up of last month’s missile test and North Korea’s confrontation with the Security Council, it is also significant that this test follows the just concluded prep-com meeting to prepare for the 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference. North Korea is the only country which has been in and out of the NPT. It was a member at the time the NPT was extended indefinitely and unconditionally and also a party to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. It has not, however, signed the treaty. The North Korea issue is likely to dominate the 2010 review conference.

North Korea is unique in using the nuclear weapons to extract concessions from the international community and rivals Pakistan in its proliferation record. It is believed to have a proliferation relationship with Iran and Syria besides Islamabad. In September 2007, Israelis carried out an air-raid on a Syrian target which they claimed was a nuclear facility under development with North Korean help. While Pakistan claims to abide by international norms, North Korea makes no such claim. While there are concerns about Pakistani nuclear weapons falling into the hands of jihadis if Pakistan loses control, in the case of North Korea the international community has reason to worry whether Pyongyang will trade its weapons for financial considerations.

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