Pyongyang Tests Hydrogen Bomb to Achieve National Unity - S Korean Ministry

The purpose of a hydrogen bomb test in North Korea is to achieve national unity before the congress of the Workers' Party, scheduled for early May, the South Korean National Defense Ministry said Thursday.

TOKYO (Sputnik) – The announcement was made before a session of the parliamentary defense committee.

An emergency meeting of the defense committee was held in the parliament of South Korea in the wake of the first test of a hydrogen bomb by North Korea. South Korea’s lawmakers presented their analytic reports on the issue, according to Japan’s NHK broadcaster.

Judging by the scope and yield of the explosion, the ministry’s officers stated they believed the likelihood of the hydrogen bomb test was small, the television channel said.

North Korea's ruling Workers' Party congress will be held for the first time in over 36 years, seeking to show the nation’s cohesion and force South Korea to change its policy toward North by generating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, it added.

During the meeting it became clear that South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-goo was informed of the tests in half an hour after the man-made earthquake triggered by the nuclear weapon’s trial occurred. The parliamentarians, in response, lashed out at the government for not having complete and accurate information about the test.