Japan Claims N Korean Sunday's Nuke Bomb Yield Likely to Be 120 Kilotons

Japanese Defense Minister announced on Tuesday the nuclear weapon's power, that North Korea had tested on Sunday.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Tuesday that the power of the nuclear weapon tested Sunday by North Korea was likely to be around 120 kilotons of TNT.

According to earlier estimates, CTBTO measured the magnitude of the tremors from the explosion to be 5.8. The Japanese Defense Ministry previously said the bomb had a yield of up to 70 kilotons.

"The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization [CTBTO] has revised the figure of the magnitude and came to the conclusion that it amounted to 6.0. If a calculation on the basis of these data is made, the yield should be equal to 120 kilotons," Onodera said as quoted by NHK broadcaster.

On Sunday Pyongyang successfully tested a hydrogen bomb that could be loaded on the warhead of an intercontinental ballistic missile, prompting global condemnation.