Commentaries, Opinions, And Analysis On North Korea's Nuclear Test

North Korea Is A Nuclear Power -- Andrei Lankov, Foreign Policy

And it’s time for the West to get used to it.

Any hopes that the first year of the young North Korean dictator's reign would signal a departure from his father Kim Jong Il's hardline policies have been dashed. The boyish looking (and, indeed, seriously young -- probably 29 years old) Kim Jong Un has so far proved himself to be a loyal son, following in his father's footsteps, while at the same time delivering results his father could only dream about.

On Feb. 12, North Korea successfully conducted its third nuclear test -- judging by initial reports, the device that exploded in a remote part of North Korea on Tuesday morning was both smaller and more powerful than those tested in 2006 and 2009. South Korea's defense ministry estimated the yield of the recent test at 6 to 7 kilotons. That's less than half the yield of the bomb the United States dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 but likely larger than North Korea's last nuclear test, which had an estimated yield of 2 to 6 kilotons -- and much bigger than the 2006 test, which was largely regarded as a fizzle.

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More Commentaries, Opinions, And Analysis On North Korea's Nuclear Test

N. Korea’s Kim More Intent on Nukes Than Dad Was: Analysis -- Joohee Cho, ABC News
North Korea nuclear test analysis: a desperate and misguided negotiation tactic -- The Telegraph
NKorea brandishing nukes to get US to talk peace -- Jean H. Lee, AP
North Korea's Nuclear Test: Taunting Obama on the Eve of His SOTU Speech -- Michael Hirsh, The Atlantic
Nuclear Test Poses Big Challenge to China’s New Leader -- Jane Perlez, New York Times
Analysts: Even China may not be able to stop N. Korea -- Oren Dorell, USA Today
North Korea Nuke Test Could Test China’s Patience -- Christopher Bodeen, Time/AP
Why China still supports North Korea, in six little words -- Max Fisher, Washington Post
North Korea crisis: China speaks softly to avoid alienating nuclear-armed neighbor -- Ed Flanagan, NBC News
North Korea playing nuclear card -- Daily Yomiuri
North Korea nuclear test analysis: a desperate and misguided negotiation tactic -- The Telegraph
Time for long-term solution with North Korea? -- Heather Williams, Special to CNN
Kim Jong-un may well be planning an economic dawn -- Greg Sheridan, The Australian
North’s move long expected by West -- Ananth Krishnan, The Hindu
World's Eyes On China After North Korean Nuclear Test (Audio) -- NPR
North Korea on the Home Stretch: Deprive Pyongyang of resources so it has no choice but to give up the bomb. -- Wall Street Journal
North Korea nuclear test raises uranium concerns -- Jonathan Marcus, BBC
North Korea's nuke test encourages Iran -- YNet News
What does North Korea's nuclear test reveal? -- Space Daily/AFP
What happens with an underground nuclear test? -- CNN
North Korea’s latest nuke stunt signals country closer to missile capability, experts say -- FOX News
How dangerous is North Korea's nuclear programme? -- Channel 4 News
North Korea tests ‘miniaturized’ nuclear device; may be seeking warhead for ballistic missile -- McClatchy News
Here's How North Korea's Nuclear Test Appeared On The World Earthquake Map -- Business Insider
Q&A: North Korea finally conducts nuclear test, what now? -- CNN
Timeline: N Korea nuclear stand-off -- BBC