North Korea Leader Touts “Thrilling Sound” of Hydrogen Bomb in Test Order

North Korea announced it has tested a “miniaturized hydrogen bomb,” reports the Times of India. North Korean state television showed a copy of Kim Jong Un’s signed order, anticipating “the thrilling sound” of the nation’s first hydrogen bomb. The test was in direct defiance to orders from the country’s ally, China. “While a fourth nuclear test had been long expected, the claim that it was a hydrogen device, much more powerful than an atomic bomb, came as a surprise, as did the timing,” reports the Times of India, relying on agency reports. “It ensures that North Korea will be a key topic during the US presidential campaign. North Korea has long coveted diplomatic recognition from Washington but sees its nuclear deterrent as crucial to ensuring the survival of its third-generation dictatorship.” Already under UN Security Council sanctions, the erratic country is making slow progress in its nuclear weapons program – enough to pose a threat to Japan, South Korea and China – though vows not to use unless its sovereignty is “infringed.” – YaleGlobal