TOKYO — North Korea announced Wednesday that it tested its first hydrogen bomb, a major leap in its nuclear program that promptly drew international condemnation.
The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting on the reported test, "strongly" condemning the move and pledging to pursue new sanctions.
Earlier, a statement by North Korea's secretive government said "the first H-bomb test was successfully conducted" at 10 a.m. local time Wednesday.
The statement, carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, said in a "world-startling event," North Korea has "proudly joined the advanced ranks of nuclear weapons states" and is "equipped with the most powerful nuclear deterrent."
The announcement came soon after a magnitude-5.1 earthquake was reported by the U.S. Geological Service 30.4 miles from the city of Kilju, North Korea, where the country's Punggye-ri nuclear test site is located.
That is the same area where North Korea conducted nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013.
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