we will take strong measure, including steps within the U.N. Security Council.” 
 
 Joel Wit, a former U.S. diplomat who runs the 38 North website dedicated to North Korea, said that the purpose of the test remained unclear. Key points: North Korea claims to have successfully carried out its first hydrogen bomb test 
 
 Magnitude-5.1 tremor at surface depth registered near Punggye-ri nuclear testing facility at 12:30pm AEDT 
 
 The North has previously conducted tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013 at location of latest tremor 
 
 South Korea, US and Chinese authorities have scrambled for confirmation of the test, however officials in Seoul have cast doubt on the claim it was a hydrogen bomb saying no radiation had been detected. Then, there were signs of unusual seismic activity around North Korea’s main nuclear test site Wednesday morning, sparking fears that Pyongyang ordered the detonation of another atomic device two days before Kim’s birthday. (ABC News) Simply put, atomic bombs' nuclear fission is the process of splitting atomic nuclei, while hydrogen bombs' fusion is joining them 
 
 In H-bombs, TNT ignites an A-bomb to detonate adjacent to a fusion fuel such as tritium, deuterium or lithium deuteride, compressing them at extreme pressures and at a very rapid rate to start a fusion reaction 
 
 Nuclear fusion is the process that occurs in the heart of the sun, and requires immense temperatures to ignite 
 
 H-bombs, thermonuclear bombs and fusion bombs can be thousands of times more powerful than atomic bombs, atom bombs, A-bombs, or fission bombs 
 
 Source: ABC/AFP 
 
 Source: ABC/AFP 
 
 "We suspect a man-made earthquake, and are analysing the scale and epicentre of the quake with the geoscience and mineral resource institute of South Korea," a Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) official said. North Korea said on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, it has conducted a hydrogen... (Associated Press) 
 
 People watch a TV news program showing North Korea's announcement, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. A magnitude-5.1 tremor was earlier detected by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and South Korean officials said they suspected it was an explosion. An official from the Korea Metrological Administration, South Korea's weather agency, said the agency believed the earthquake was caused artificially, based on an analysis of the seismic waves; it originated 49 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kilju, the northeastern area where North Korea's main nuclear test site is located. South Korean intelligence officials and several analysts also questioned whether Wednesday’s explosion was a test of a full-fledged hydrogen device, pointing to its having been roughly as powerful as North Korea’s last atomic test. “However, as a peaceful nation and a nuclear powered-nation, North Korea will be a responsible state and will not use its nuclear power before [an attack] and will not transfer the technology to others.” 
 
 There was some skepticism about the claim, with nuclear experts noting that the yield appeared to be similar to North Korea’s three previous atomic tests, rather than the “enormous” yield that would be expected if it had been a thermonuclear test. The White House said it could not confirm the claims of miniaturisation and a hydrogen bomb test, but added the United States would respond appropriately to provocations and defend its allies.
– A tense 2016 lies ahead on the Korean Peninsula after a North Korean nuclear test that could mark an alarming leap forward in the country's technology. Pyongyang claims that it successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb for the first time, though experts say the Wednesday morning explosion— believed to have caused a 5.1-magnitude quake—was closer in size to North Korea's three previous nuclear tests than to a hydrogen bomb explosion, reports the Washington Post. Kim Jong Un claimed last month that the country had an H-bomb, a weapon much more powerful and harder to make than an atomic bomb, and a confirmed test would almost certainly lead to tough new sanctions against North Korea, the AP reports. North Korean state media reported that the test of the "miniaturized" H-bomb was a "perfect success." It could be weeks before an H-bomb test can be confirmed by outside experts, who seem skeptical of Pyongyang's claims. "Given the scale, it is hard to believe this is a real hydrogen bomb," a rep from the Korea Defense and Security Forum tells Reuters. "They could have tested some middle stage kind [of device] between an A-bomb and H-bomb, but unless they come up with any clear evidence, it is difficult to trust their claim." The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that the United Nations Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss the nuclear test. (At the start of 2016, Kim said he was ready for war.)