Radioactivity Detected After N.Korea Nuclear Fusion Claim

[bananas]

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Right after North Korea claimed a successful nuclear fusion test on May 12, the northernmost radiation detection station of the (South) Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety detected an eightfold increase in the radioactive substance xenon, it emerged Sunday.

Since nuclear fusion is the core process in hydrogen bombs, there is speculation that the North actually ran a small-scale nuclear test to develop the technology at the time.

On May 14, two days after the North's announcement, air analysis of KINS's radiation detection station in Geojin, Gangwon Province showed about eight times as much xenon as in ordinary times, a government official said. "Authorities concerned have concentrated on analyzing this," he added.

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Read more: http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/06/21/2010062101166.html

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More details from AFP:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iApZGH3OH7xhou2DZ0mSAfxsIU-A

Radiation detected after N.Korea nuclear claim
(AFP) – 9 hours ago

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"There was no tremor -- which usually goes with nuclear explosions -- detected at the time," the official said. "Xenon may have come from a nuclear reactor elsewhere or due to a reason we have yet to fully rstand."

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Nuclear fusion potentially promises clean and limitless energy but can also be employed to make hydrogen bombs.

The North's announcement last month did not link the alleged fusion breakthrough to its atomic weapons programme.

Pyongyang's official media reported on May 12 that the North's scientists, using their own technology, had conducted a nuclear fusion reaction.

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[onehandle]

1. They're building a lot of bombs. Let's not forget this is smirk's fault.

Our relationship with North Korea was growing under Bill Clinton. Bush comes in, invades a barely functioning country for its 'terra' and labels NK 'evil.'

I bet they are building bombs by the score.

[Imajika]

5. Not so much..

The relationship may have been better with Clinton in charge, but North Korea was cheating and building nukes the entire time.

They admitted as much when called on it.

Of course, Bush mishandled pretty much everything, but North Korea was not abiding by the agreements made with the Clinton administration.

[David__77]

2. Interesting that N. Korea is able to produce high-quality weaponry en masse...

It seems to indicate that their economy is not really too bad, but rather than they consciously impose poverty on the masses in order to devote half their resources to the military, and another 15% to propaganda activities...

[hedgehog]

3. Just like the Soviet Union, Great Britain in the 50's and the US today!

[GreenStormCloud]

4. They don't produce high quality weaponry en masse.

Their recent missile launches have been failures. Most of their Air Force is obsolete M-17s, 19s, and 21`s.

[crikkett]

6. It's not interesting. It's a highly successful totalitarian state.

Half-starving your population and requiring them to spend three hours/day in devotional exercises is the best way to perpetuate said state.

[David__77]

7. Interesting because most do not understand it and think something else is going on.

This is not a question of "incompetence" by the N. Korean authorities. This is a clear political strategy, and the enduring nature of the state there is a testament to its "success." People have been predicting its demise since the late 80s. But N. Korea is VERY different ideologically than E. Germany, for instance.

[crikkett]

9. OK then, we seem to agree with each other after all. n/t

[bobthedrummer]

8. Just in time to mark the beginning of the Korean War, June 25, 1950 n/t