Oct. 9, North Korea successfully performed an underground nuclear test in Hwaderi, near Kilju City. The test was successful and no radiation leaks occurred. Shinzo Abe, Japan’s Prime Minister, called the test “unpardonable” and said that the region was “entering a new, dangers nuclear age.” Many countries around the world have urged the United Nations to force some sort of sanction against the communist country. “We expect the U.N. Security Council to take immediate actions to respond to this unprovoked act,” Tony Snow, the U.S. white house spokesman, said. The Chinese government released a statement in which it strongly denounced the actions performed by its ally. A Chinese representative said the test “defied the universal opposition of international society.” This could hurt North Korea severely if a war breaks out. The U.S. and South Korea are separately monitoring activities at a possible nuclear testing site to determine whether North Korea will launch a second test. Washington D.C. has assembled 60 nations to join a Proliferation Security Initiate, an attempt to work with other navies and air forces to potentially intercept ships or aircrafts carrying illicit materials to terrorist or rouge nations. The U.S. has been trying to gain support from South Korea for a United Nations sanctions resolution, a move that North Korea described as a “sinister attempt” to provoke war between the two Koreas. The North Korean nuclear programs date back to the 1980s when North Korea began uranium fabrication and conversion. The Sept. 1989 issue of Jane’s Defense Weekly stated that North Korea “could manufacture nuclear devices in five years time, and the means to deliver them soon afterward.” A July 1990 issue of The Washington Post said that satellite photos revealed a structure capable of separating plutonium from nuclear fuel in a the city of Bonbon, proving that North Korea has been researching and testing nuclear activity for years. “This is not a dispute between the U.S. and North Korea, it’s a dispute between North Korea and the rest of the world.” U.S. Ambassador, John Bolton, said. The global community will be keeping a close eye on North Korea’s actions in the coming months.