List of nuclear weapons tests of North Korea explained

Nuclear tests
Test Site:	Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site, North Korea
Period:	2006–2017
Number Of Tests:	6
Test Type:	underground
Max Yield:	~140 kt (U.S. intelligence)^[1] 160 kt (Revised estimates from Japanese Government)^[2] 250 kt (38 North and revised NORSAR estimate)^[3] ^[4]

North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests, in 2006, 2009, 2013, twice in 2016, and in 2017.__TOC__

Testing

North Korea's nuclear tests series tests and detonations

- !style="background:#ffdead;"	Sequence !style="background:#efefef;"	Date time (UT) !style="background:#ffdead; padding-left:1px;"	Local time zone^[5] ^[6] !style="background:#efefef;"	Location !style="background:#ffdead;"	Elevation + height !style="background:#efefef;"	Delivery !style="background:#ffdead;"	Yield^[7] !style="background:#efefef;" class="unsortable"	Fallout^[8] !style="background:#ffdead;" class="unsortable"	References	- !rowspan="2"	(1)	01:35:27	KST (+9 hrs)	Punggye-ri Test Site, North Korea 41.2851°N 129.1084°W	1340m (4,400feet), -310m (-1,010feet)	underground				-	Possibly a fizzle. East Tunnel approximately 1 km NE from the entrance. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, a state-run geology research institute in Germany, estimated the yield at 2 kilotons in 2013^[9] but has since revised to 0.7 kt.^[10]								- ! rowspan="2"	(2)	00:54:43	KST (+9 hrs)	Punggye-ri Test Site, North Korea 41.2914°N 129.0817°W	1340m (4,400feet), -490m (-1,600feet)	underground				-	West Tunnel at about 1.2 km NW from the tunnel entrance. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, a state-run geology research institute in Germany, estimated the yield at 13 kt in 2013 but has since revised to 5.4 kt.								- !rowspan="2"	(3)	02:57:51	KST (+9 hrs)	Punggye-ri Test Site, North Korea 41.2681°N 129.0808°W	1340m (4,400feet), -1000m (-2,000feet)	underground				-	Likely the test took place in the West Tunnel. South tunnel damaged by flooding in 2012. The Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, a state-run geology research institute in Germany, estimated the yield at 40 kilotons in 2013 but has since revised the yield as 14 kt. The University of Science and Technology of China estimates the yield at around 12.2 kt, with a margin of error of 3.8 kt.^[11] Hence the max yield could be 16 kt for this test.								- ! rowspan="2"	(4)	01:30:01	PYT (+8:30 hrs)	Punggye-ri Test Site, North Korea 41.309°N 129.034°W	1340m (4,400feet), -1000m (-2,000feet)	underground			^[12] ^[13]	-	Claimed to be a hydrogen bomb. Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources has originally estimated the yield as 14kt but has since revised to 10kt.^[14] The University of Science and Technology of China estimates the yield at around 11.3 kt, with a margin of error of 4.2 kt.^[15] Hence the max yield could be 16.5 kt for this test.								- !rowspan="2"	(5)	00:30:01	PYT (+8:30 hrs)	Punggye-ri Test Site, North Korea 41.298°N 129.015°W^[16]	1340m (4,400feet), -1000m (-2,000feet)	underground			^[17] ^[18] ^[19]	-	North Korea announced that this is a successful test of a warhead that can be mounted onto a rocket.^[20] Siegfried S. Hecker, former director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, estimated yield at 15 to 25 kt.^[21] Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources has initially estimated the yield as 25 kt. The University of Science and Technology of China estimates the yield at around 17.8 kt, with a margin of error of 5.9 kt.^[22]
(6)	03:30:01.940	PYT (+8:30 hrs)	Punggye-ri Test Site, North Korea 41.343°N 129.036°W	1340m (4,400feet), 0m (00feet)	underground			^[23] ^[24] ^[25] ^[26] ^[27]	-	Claimed to be a hydrogen bomb (but may only be a boosted fission weapon rather than an actual staged Teller–Ulam thermonuclear weapon).^[28] On 3 September, South Korea’s weather agency, the Korea Meteorological Administration, estimated that the nuclear weapons blast yield of the presumed test was between 50 and 60 kilotons based on a magnitude 5.6 detection.^[29] South Korean Government's initial yield estimate is 100 kt, and it detected a 5.7 magnitude earthquake.^[30] NORSAR Seismology Center initial estimate is 120 kt, based on a magnitude 5.8 tremor. On 12 Sept 2017, this was revised to an estimate of 250 kt based on a magnitude 6.1 instead. The German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources estimate is "a few hundred kt", based on a 6.1 detected tremor. The Japan Meteorological Agency also detected a 6.1 magnitude tremor.^[31] from USGS: "[Magnitude] 6.3 Explosion ... Possible explosion, located near the site where North Korea has detonated nuclear explosions in the past. If this event was an explosion, the USGS National Earthquake Information Center cannot determine its type, whether nuclear or any other possible type." Depth and lat/lon location approximate. The China Earthquake Administration also detected a 6.3 magnitude earthquake.^[32] The University of Science and Technology of China^[33] estimated the yield at 108.1 ± 48.1 kt. The Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences registered a 6.4 magnitude earthquake.^[34] The Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory estimated 250 kilotons. Japanese Government: 160 kt. U.S. Intelligence/Air Force Technical Applications Center: 70 to 280 kilotons.^[35] Earlier U.S. Intelligence had given an estimate of 140 kt with unspecified margin of error. Indian Space Research Organization anaysis of satellite synthetic-aperture radar data found that explosion was at a depth of 542 ± 30 metres and the yield was 245–271 kt.^[36]								-

Summary

See also: List of nuclear weapons tests.

North Korea's nuclear testing series summary

- !style="background:#ffdead;"

Series or years !style="background:#efefef;"

Years covered !style="background:#ffdead;"

Tests^[37] !style="background:#efefef;"

Devices fired !style="background:#ffdead;"

Devices with unknown yield !style="background:#efefef;"

Peaceful use tests !style="background:#ffdead;"

Non-PTBT tests^[38] !style="background:#efefef;" class="unsortable"

Yield range (kilotons) ^[39] !style="background:#ffdead;"

Total yield (kilotons) ^[40] !style="background:#efefef; text-align:center;" class="unsortable"

Notes

- ! nuclear tests

2006–2017

0.7–250

- class="sortbottom" !style="background:#efefef;"

Totals

2006-Oct-9 to 2017-Sep-3

6

6

0.7–250

197.8 (Based on average yield from lower to upper estimates as the Government of DPRK does not announce the exact yield.)

Total country yield is 0.036% of all nuclear testing.

See also

• North Korea and weapons of mass destruction

Notes and References

1. Panda, Ankit (6 September 2017). "US Intelligence: North Korea's Sixth Test Was a 140 Kiloton 'Advanced Nuclear' Device". The Diplomat. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
2. News: North Korean nuke test put at 160 kilotons as Ishiba urges debate on deploying U.S. atomic bombs . . 5 September 2017 . 7 September 2017 . 6 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170906124903/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/09/06/national/north-korean-nuke-test-put-160-kilotons-ishiba-urges-debate-deploying-u-s-atomic-bombs/ . dead .
3. Web site: North Korea's Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site: Satellite Imagery Shows Post-Test Effects and New Activity in Alternate Tunnel Portal Areas | 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea. 12 September 2017.
4. Web site: The nuclear explosion in North Korea on 3 September 2017: A revised magnitude assessment . NORSAR . 12 September 2017 . 13 September 2017 . 13 September 2017 . https://archive.today/20170913180851/https://www.norsar.no/press/latest-press-release/archive/the-nuclear-explosion-in-north-korea-on-3-september-2017-a-revised-magnitude-assessment-article1548-984.html . dead .
5. To convert the UT time into standard local, add the number of hours in parentheses to the UT time; for local daylight saving time, add one additional hour. If the result is earlier than 00:00, add 24 hours and subtract 1 from the day; if it is 24:00 or later, subtract 24 hours and add 1 to the day. North Korea changed from UTC+9 hours to UTC+8:30 hours on 15 August 2015. All historical time zone data are derived from here:
6. Web site: Time Zone Database. iana.com. 8 March 2014.
7. Estimated energy yield in tons, kilotons, and megatons. A ton of TNT equivalent is defined as 4.184 gigajoules (1 gigacalorie).
8. Radioactive emission to the atmosphere aside from prompt neutrons, where known. The measured species is only iodine-131 if mentioned, otherwise it is all species. No entry means unknown, probably none if underground and "all" if not; otherwise notation for whether measured on the site only or off the site, where known, and the measured amount of radioactivity released.
9. http://www.bgr.bund.de/DE/Gemeinsames/Oeffentlichkeitsarbeit/Pressemitteilungen/BGR/bgr-130212_Kernwaffentest-Nordkorea.html Nordkorea: BGR registriert vermutlichen Kernwaffentest
10. http://www.bgr.bund.de/DE/Gemeinsames/Oeffentlichkeitsarbeit/Pressemitteilungen/BGR/bgr-160106_nordkorea_BGR_kernwaffentest.html?nn=1542132 Nordkorea: BGR registriert vermutlichen Kernwaffentest
11. Web site: Chinese underground nuclear test North Korea reached an unprecedented precision measurement. 19 June 2013. 14 July 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131021114212/http://www.51jiwo.com/military/4350.html. 21 October 2013. dmy-all.
12. News: 6 January 2016 . North Korean carries out fourth nuclear test . . 6 January 2016.
13. News: 6 January 2016 . North Korea Tests Nuclear Device, Claims Successful Thermonuclear Detonation. . 6 January 2016.
14. http://www.bgr.bund.de/DE/Gemeinsames/Oeffentlichkeitsarbeit/Pressemitteilungen/BGR/bgr-160909_nordkorea_BGR_kernwaffentest.html?nn=1542132 Nordkorea: BGR registriert vermutlichen Kernwaffentest
15. Web site: North Korea's January 6 2016 Nuclear Test Location and Yield: Seismic Results from USTC. 6 January 2016. 6 January 2016. 10 May 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170510093826/http://seis.ustc.edu.cn/en/201609/t20160909_253324.html. dead.
16. Location from seismic data, about 6.4 km west northwest Punggye-ri and locus of previous tests.
17. Web site: 9 September 2016 . M5.3 Explosion – 19km ENE of Sungjibaegam, North Korea. . 9 September 2016.
18. News: North Korea nuclear test: Japan confirms huge quake caused by explosion . The Guardian. 9 September 2016.
19. http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-northkorea-nuclear-idUKKCN11F02D North Korea conducts fifth and largest nuclear test – South Korea and Japan
20. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_KOREAS_TENSIONS_THE_LATEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT The Latest: N. Korea Confirms 'Successful' Nuclear Test
21. News: North Korea has made a nuclear weapon small enough to fit on a missile. How worried should the world be? . Los Angeles Times . 9 August 2017 . 18 August 2017.
22. Web site: North Korea's September 9 2016 Nuclear Test Location and Yield: Seismic Results from USTC. 10 September 2016. 10 September 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160919072026/http://seis.ustc.edu.cn/en/201609/t20160909_253323.html. 19 September 2016. dmy-all.
23. Web site: M 6.3 Explosion - 22km ENE of Sungjibaegam, North Korea.
24. Web site: N. Korea's apparent sixth nuke test estimated to have yield of 100 kilotons: lawmaker.
25. Web site: Large nuclear test in North Korea on 3 September 2017. 3 September 2017. 4 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170904030147/https://www.norsar.no/press/latest-press-release/archive/large-nuclear-test-in-north-korea-on-3-september-2017-article1534-984.html. dead.
26. Web site: BGR registers a presumed nuclear test in North Korea.
27. Web site: Seismic Detective Weighs In on North Korea's Latest Nuclear Test. 5 September 2017.
28. News: Buckley. Chris. What's the Difference Between a Hydrogen Bomb and a Regular Atomic Bomb?. September 6, 2017. New York Times. September 3, 2017.
29. News: North Korea nuclear test: what we know so far . Guardian. 3 September 2017.
30. News: The Latest: EU calls on U.N. to adopt further NK sanctions. September 3, 2017. New York Daily News. Associated Press. September 3, 2017.
31. News: North Korea tests most powerful nuclear bomb yet. September 3, 2017. ABC. CNN, Scripps National Desk. September 3, 2017.
32. News: Wen. Philip. China Earthquake Administration detects 'suspected explosion' in North Korea. September 3, 2017. Reuters. Thomson Reuters. September 2, 2017.
33. Web site: North Korea's 3 September 2017 Nuclear Test Location and Yield: Seismic Results from USTC. Lianxing Wen's Geography. University of Science and Technology of China. 4 September 2017. 4 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170904112205/http://seis.ustc.edu.cn/_s223/2017/0904/c10084a191096/page.psp. dead.
34. News: North Korea likely to have conducted another nuclear test — Japanese TV. September 3, 2017. TASS. Government of Russia. September 3, 2017.
35. News: North Korea nuclear test may have been twice as strong as first thought . Michelle Ye Hee Lee . Washington Post . 13 September 2017 . 28 September 2017.
36. Constraints on the location, depth and yield of the 2017 September 3 North Korean nuclear test from InSAR measurements and modelling . 10.1093/gji/ggz451 . K M Sreejith . Ritesh Agrawal . A S Rajawat . Geophysical Journal International . Oxford University Press . 220 . 1 . 345–351 . January 2020 . 15 November 2019. free .
37. Includes all tests with potential for nuclear fission or fusion explosion, including combat use, singleton tests, salvo tests, zero yield fails, safety experiments, and bombs incapacitated by accidents but still intended to be fired. It does not include hydronuclear and subcritical tests, and misfires of a device which was subsequently fired successfully.
38. Number of tests which would have been in violation of the Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963, such as atmospheric, space or underwater tests. Some "peaceful use" cratering tests which should have been violations were protested, and later quietly dropped.
39. "Small" refers to a value greater than zero but less than 0.5 kt.
40. Some yields are described like "< 20 kt"; such are scored at one half of the numeric amount, i.e., yield of 10k in this example. "Unknown yield" adds nothing to the total.