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Yonhap News Agency reported on July 17 increased signs of activity at the Punggye Village test site in North Korea’s North Hamgyong Province

The nuclear test that North Korea conducted on Sept. 9 is believed to have been the most powerful of the five tests it has conducted thus far.

“North Korea’s nuclear test on Sept. 9 occurred to the east of Punggye Village, the site of the fourth nuclear test. The blast had a force of about 10 kilotons, give or take a couple, which is thought to be the strongest of any of North Korea’s five nuclear tests,” said one seismic expert.

“If this were supposed to be a test of a hydrogen bomb, it failed,” the expert added.

The nuclear test occurred at 9:00:01 in the North Korean time zone (9:30:01 in the South Korean time zone). Pyongyang is thought to have planned for the blast to occur at exactly 9 am on Sept. 9, the anniversary of the establishment of the North Korean regime.

By Lee Geun-young, senior staff writer

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