US, South Korea Consider 'Effective Military Reponses' to DPRK's Nuclear Test

The top military officers of the United States and South Korea have discussed "effective military responses" that could show the military might of the allies in the wake of North Korea's latest nuclear test on Sunday.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and South Korea's Gen. Jeong Kyeong-doo discussed on phone the enhancemnet of military cooperation between Seoul and Washington and joint response to North Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The news came after Pyongyang announced it had conducted a test of a hydrogen bomb, which was successful, as no radiation leakage took place in the process. The Japanese NHK broadcaster confirmed the test was successful, adding that no breaches of nuclear materials to the outside occurred.

South Korean media reported that an estimated capacity of North Korea's possible nuclear test may have reached 50 kilotonnes.

The Japanese government has condemned North Korea in the strongest terms through its embassy in Beijing and will coordinate its actions with the United States and South Korea to request the United Nations to convene an emergency Security Council meeting, Kono said as quoted by the NHK

If confirmed, the latest test would be Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test since it declared itself a nuclear power in 2005.