Chronology of nuclear tests

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

North Korea

Wed, December 6, 2023 | 21:17

Chronology of nuclear tests

Posted : 2016-01-06 13:15

Updated : 2016-01-06 21:36

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signs an order to carry out a hydrogen bomb test, Wednesday. The North's Korean Central Television (KCTV) disclosed photos of his signing right after the official announcement of the test's success.
/ Yonhap

The following is a chronology of major events leading to North Korea's hydrogen bomb test on Wednesday.

▲2006

Oct. 9: North Korea says it successfully carried out its first test of a nuclear device.

Oct. 15: The U.N. Security Council votes unanimously to impose weapons and financial sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear test. Resolution 1718 demands Pyongyang eliminate all its nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles.

▲2007

Feb. 13: Pyongyang agrees to shut down its nuclear reactor and invite international inspectors within 60 days in return for massive energy assistance.

June 26-30: IAEA inspectors arrive in North Korea to discuss freezing its nuclear reactor, the first time they have been allowed into the country since 2002.

Sept. 2: Following bilateral talks in Geneva, the U.S. says North Korea has agreed to declare and dismantle all its nuclear facilities by the end of the year.

▲2008

June 27: North Korea explodes the cooling tower at its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, in a symbolic move to show its commitment to the talks on ending its nuclear program.

Aug. 26: Two months after submitting its nuclear declaration, Pyongyang says it has stopped disabling its nuclear facilities in protest of the delayed process to remove the country from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

N. Korea claims successful H-bomb test

2016-01-06 17:11 | North Korea

North Korea claims successful H-bomb test

2016-01-06 12:55 | North Korea

▲2009

May 25: North Korea detonates an underground nuclear explosive device. This is North Korea's second nuclear test and is believed to be several times more powerful than the first one tested in 2006.

▲2010

Nov. 12: Seigfried Hecker, a U.S. nuclear scientist, makes a visit to North Korea, where he is shown an advanced uranium enrichment plant in Yongbyon.

▲2011

Nov. 30: North Korean state media says the construction of a light-water reactor and the production of low-enriched uranium are making progress.

▲2012

Feb. 29: North Korea agrees to suspend uranium enrichment, as well as nuclear and long-range missile tests.

▲2013

Jan. 24: North Korea's National Defense Commission says it will proceed with a "high-level nuclear test."

Feb. 4: North Korea's state media says its leader Kim Jong-un made an "important" decision regarding its security and sovereignty at a military meeting, amid mounting pressure on Pyongyang to scrap its plan for a nuclear test.

Feb. 12: North Korea conducts a third nuclear test at the Punggye-ri test site hours after the ruling Workers' Party Political Bureau vowed to continue to launch long-range rockets as part of an "all-out action of high intensity."

▲2016

Jan. 6: North Korea claims to have successfully conducted a hydrogen bomb test. (Yonhap)