CNN의 보도에 따르면 미국 정보기관은 북한의 핵실험에서 '뭔가 잘못 된 점이 있었다'고 믿게 되었다고 한다. 북한은 중국에 사전통보할 때 핵실험 규모가 TNT 4000t이 될 것이라고 했으나 실제 폭발력은 그 10분의 1 정도인 500t 이하였다. 미국측은 '핵실험이 아니었을 가능성도 있으나 지금은 핵실험이었다고 가정하고 있다. 추가 시험을 준비하고 있다는 증거는 없다'고 말했다. 이는 박정희 시절의 핵개발 참여 과학자들의 주장과 거의 같은 이야기이다. 즉, 소규모 핵폭발을 시도했으나 완전한 연쇄반응이 일어나지 않았다는 것이다. 일종의 불완전 연소이다. 이로써 북한의 핵개발능력은 아직 초보단계임이 드러나고 있다. 이번 시험자료를 가지고 핵폭탄을 만들어도 비행기에 실을 정도의 대형이지 미사일에 실을 정도로 소형화되는 데는 상당 기간이 걸린다. 사이비 좌파출신 여당 의원들은 이 마당에서도 북한의 핵무기는 한국을 겨냥하지 않는다고 말한다는데 이 정도의 원시적 핵무기는 한국만 칠 수 있지 일본과 미국까지 날릴 방법이 없다.
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- The United States believes North Korea attempted to detonate a nuclear device and that 'something went wrong,' a U.S. government official told CNN Tuesday.

The official confirmed North Korea informed the Chinese government prior to the test that it would be a 4 kiloton nuclear device.

The official added that the unexpectedly small blast, of a half kiloton or less, indicated 'something went wrong.'

Nuclear tests in 1998 by India and Pakistan were about 24 to 50 times as powerful - or in the 15 kiloton range, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

The United States still cannot say for sure the underground detonation was a nuclear blast; the working assumption is that it was, but not very successful, the official said. (Dud or deception? Read the full story)

Another U.S. official said it is possible North Korea may attempt a second test, but cautioned there has been no evidence of any preparations at another test site.

'I would not say we expect it,' the official said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly, 'but it would not be a total surprise.'

Russia's Defense Minister said Tuesday that his agency has estimated the power of the explosion at between 5 and 15 kilotons.

But the U.S. intelligence community is sticking by an estimate that the blast was approximately a half kiloton, or even less, although it's possible the hardened tunnel in which the test took place could have 'muffled' the seismic waves, an official told CNN.

Angry reaction
The world, meanwhile, was lining up against the reclusive regime of Kim Jong Il, with even longtime ally China saying Monday's reported nuclear test should bring 'punitive actions.' The U.N. Security Council prepared to further discuss sanctions on Tuesday. (Watch the world call for immediate action -- 1:35)

The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said Tuesday, 'This is the way North Korea typically negotiates, by threat and intimidation. It's worked for them before. It's not going to work this time.'

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, in a dispatch carried by The Associated Press, quoted an unidentified North Korean official as saying, 'We hope the situation will be resolved before an unfortunate incident of us firing a nuclear missile comes.'

'That depends on how the U.S. will act,' the official said.

Bolton said the United States has talked one-on-one with its North Korean counterparts on the sidelines of the stalled six-party talks and will continue to do so if Pyongyang returns to the negotiating table.

'If they want to talk to us, all they have to do is buy a plane ticket to Beijing,' Bolton said.

But North Korea has shunned the talks in favor of bilateral negotiations with the United States.

The Bush administration has refused to negotiate with Pyongyang without the input of South Korea, China, Russia, and Japan.

Bolton said the North Korean regime is unwilling to take part in the multilateral negotiations 'because they're not getting what they want.'

'We want the elimination of their nuclear weapons programs,' he said.

Now, North Korea faces the threat of United Nations sanctions which, U.N. diplomats say, are tailored after existing sanctions imposed by the United States.

Japan has tacked on additional sanctions to the U.N. draft resolution, which is still being circulated among U.N. Security Council members.

The draft resolution attempts to target the country's weapons and illicit drug trade to punish Kim's regime and not civilians, Bolton said.

'Our aim in the sanctions we proposed is precisely not to do anything to worsen the terrible condition of the people who have suffered under this regime,' Bolton said.(Watch what life is like at the DMZ dividing the two Koreas -- 2:06 )

'Our draft resolution, in fact, carves out explicit exemptions for humanitarian supplies. To the extent that we are able to, we will try to keep that flowing to the North Korean people who need it.'

North Korea's people often go hungry, with the government unable to provide for basic needs after decades of economic mismanagement under its Communist leadership.

Despite the reported missile threat, the North's missiles are not likely to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, and a test firing of an alleged long-range missile failed in July. (Watch what experts think about missile strikes -- 2:11 )

Measuring success
Doubts remained Tuesday that Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test -- because of Western measurements showing an explosion equivalent to about 500 metric tons of TNT, which a senior U.S. intelligence community official said was unusually small for a nuclear blast. (Nuclear nations)

A North Korean diplomat admitted the test was smaller than expected, the South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh reported Tuesday.

'But the success in a small-scale [test] means a large-scale [test] is also possible,' he said in comments posted on the newspaper's Web site. (Was North Korea test dud or deception?)

Any sanctions coming out of the U.N. would need the support of Russia and China, which hold veto power in the Security Council.

While the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman ruled out any military actions, Beijing appeared ready to back some form of sanctions.

China's U.N. ambassador, Wang Guangya, said the Security Council must give a 'firm, constructive, appropriate but prudent response' to North Korea.

'There has to be some punitive actions (against North Korea), but also I think these actions have to be appropriate, so we will discuss with others,' he said.

Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said in an AP report that 'the nuclear test will undoubtedly exert a negative impact on our relations.'

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said his country would reconsider its policy of engagement with the North, according to a report from the Reuters news service.

Australia said it would impose various measures on North Korea, including curtailing visas.

And Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tokyo may impose sanctions on North Korea even if it turns out the test was a ruse, AP reported.

President Bush on Monday insisted the United States 'remains committed to diplomacy' to settle the dispute. (Watch Bush on why North Korea's move poses a threat -- 2:34 )

U.S. military units in the region were keeping a low profile, AP reported, with officials cautiously avoiding any comments that might provoke the North.

'We are monitoring the situation,' Master Sgt. Terence Peck, a spokesman for the U.S. Forces, Japan, said on Monday. On Tuesday, officials said they had been instructed to refer all questions to the State Department.

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