Q&A: North Korea nuclear test

North Korea carried out a nuclear test on 25 May, 2009 - in direct contravention of an international ban.

It was the North's second-ever such test, the previous one taking place in October 2006.

The North Koreans followed up their latest nuclear test by launching short-range missiles.

The incidents provoked widespread international condemnation.

What led to the latest stand-off?

North Korea had been threatening for some time to restart its nuclear programme and build up its arsenal of nuclear weapons.

Pyongyang was enraged when the UN Security Council condemned its long-range rocket launch in April and tightened existing sanctions.

The North insisted it had put a communications satellite into orbit, but many governments saw the launch as a thinly disguised test of Taepodong-2 long-range missile technology, aimed at putting parts of the US within North Korea's reach.

North Korea is forbidden from pursuing this kind of technology by a UN resolution passed in 2006.

In response to the UN criticism, Pyongyang expelled international nuclear monitors and left the long-running six-nation disarmament talks aimed at convincing it to give up its nuclear programme in exchange for aid.

What is behind the North's actions?

North Korea appears to have moved from a posture of negotiation to confrontation - directly challenging the policies of the US and South Korean administrations.

Despite promising a fresh start to bilateral relations, US President Barack Obama has so far failed to persuade the North Koreans to re-enter negotiations.

Inter-Korean relations have also become fraught since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office last February.

The conservative leader insisted there would be no further unconditional economic aid for the North, and that any concessions depended on the North's co-operation on denuclearisation.

Analysts suggest that North Korea is adopting a belligerent attitude to force both the US and South Korea to offer greater economic and diplomatic concessions in return for nuclear disarmament.

What punishment can the North expect?

Washington had already warned of consequences if North Korea went ahead with another nuclear test.

On 12 June, 2009, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to approve further sanctions against the North.

They involve three key elements - provisions for the inspection of North Korean ships that may be carrying equipment related to weapons of mass destruction; a wider ban on North Korean arms imports and exports; and a range of steps to increase vigilance of Pyongyang's overseas financial dealings.

But given Pyongyang's isolation, the diplomatic tools available to try to limit its behaviour are restricted.

Some say the impoverished and isolated communist regime will never surrender its atomic arsenal as it has few other cards to play.

What is China's position?

China continues to have more leverage over the North than any other nation.

A long-time communist ally of Pyongyang, it has nevertheless approved sanctions.

The Chinese ambassador at the UN, Zhang Yesui, said the new resolution showed the "firm opposition" of the world to North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

But analysts say China has too much at stake to entirely withdraw its support; it sees the North as a strategic buffer against US military and allied forces in the region.

It also fears that a regime collapse could lead to an uncontrolled influx of refugees across its shared border.

Why does the issue of North Korea's nuclear capability matter so much?

The two Koreas remain technically at war, since no peace treaty was signed after the 1950-53 Korean conflict.

North Korea has a million-strong army. The North-South border is one of the most heavily militarised in the world.

The test in May has reignited debate in Japan on allowing its military the option to launch a pre-emptive strike if it fears a missile attack.

It could also trigger the risk of an East Asian arms race, as countries like Japan, South Korea and Taiwan consider whether to go nuclear as well.

Could North Korea drop a nuclear bomb now?

North Korea is not thought to have yet developed a ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, experts say.

But this second nuclear test will add to suspicions that the North is moving closer to becoming a fully fledged nuclear-armed state.

Analysts believe the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il, hoped to use the test to shore up military support amid mounting speculation that he is about to name a successor.

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