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2 Small Earthquakes Reported Near North Korean Capital Amid Missile Fears

Jack Phillips
By Jack Phillips
August 15, 2017World News
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2 Small Earthquakes Reported Near North Korean Capital Amid Missile Fears
The test fire of a ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea in an undated photo released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on May 30. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

North Korea was reportedly hit by two earthquakes, sparking fears of another nuclear test.

One quake struck near the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, registering a magnitude of 2.6 on the Richter scale. Another magnitude-2.5 quake struck a few hours later.

There was no indication yet from state-run media outlets of a nuclear test.

The quake also struck far away from the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility, where the Kim regime generally detonates such weapons.

Kim Sung Han, a Seoul-based weather reporter, tweeted about the two quakes on Twitter, saying the first one covered a 1.5-mile area.

However, the U.S. Geological Survey and Japan’s earthquake monitoring agency have yet to post an update on the North Korean quakes.

Tuesday is National Liberation Day in North Korea, which marks the victory over Japan during World War II.

Last year, in September, North Korea had tested a nuclear weapon, it claimed, just hours after seismic monitors detected an artificial earthquake.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks on during the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic missile Hwasong-14. (KCNA/via REUTERS)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks on during the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic missile Hwasong-14. (KCNA/via Reuters)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (L) inspects a Hwasong-12 strategic ballistic rocket at an undisclosed location in this picture released by North Korean state media on May 15. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (L) inspects a Hwasong-12 strategic ballistic rocket at an undisclosed location. The photo was released by North Korean state media on May 15.
(STR/AFP/Getty Images)

The magnitude-5.3 explosion took place about 11 miles from Sungjibaegam in the northeastern portion of the isolated country, it was reported at the time.

And North Korea then hailed the earthquake-causing nuclear “warhead explosion” as “successful.”

A view of U.S. military planes parked on the tarmac of Andersen Air Force base on the island of Guam, a U.S. Pacific Territory, August 15, 2017. (Reuters/Erik De Castro)
A view of U.S. military planes on the tarmac of Andersen Air Force base on the island of Guam, a U.S. Pacific Territory, Aug. 15, 2017. (Erik De Castro/Reuters)

“The Central Committee of the [ruling] Workers’ Party of Korea sent warm congratulations to nuclear scientists … of the northern nuclear test ground on the successful nuclear warhead explosion test,” a presenter said.

World leaders, including former President Barack Obama, resoundingly condemned North Korea’s nuclear ambitions after the test.

Meanwhile, North Korea said it won’t fire a missile at the U.S. territory of Guam, posting a statement on the matter on Monday night, Aug. 14. It comes after President Donald Trump said that North Korea would regret taking such an action.

“If he does anything with respect to Guam or any place else that’s an American territory or an American ally, he will truly regret it, and he will regret it fast,” Trump said of Kim last week.

From The Epoch Times

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