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North Korea announced today through its Korean Central News Agency that it has conducted an underground nuclear test with success. In Japan, too, the Japan Meteorological Agency detected seismic waves around 09:55 am today whose wave forms differ from those of ordinary waves and which may have been caused by a nuclear test by North Korea.
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A nuclear test by North Korea is totally unacceptable, as it constitutes a grave threat to Japan's security as well as seriously undermines the peace and security of Northeast Asia and the international community when taken together with North Korea's enhancement of its ballistic missile capability, which could serve as the means to deliver weapons of mass destruction. Thus Japan lodges a serious protest against North Korea, and strongly condemns its nuclear test. Such action clearly violates United Nations Security Council resolution 1718 of 14 October 2006 and represents a grave challenge to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime. It also contravenes the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration and the Joint Declaration of the Six-Party Talks. Japan shall continue to collaborate closely not least with its ally the United States as well as with other countries concerned, so as to ensure the safety of the country and its people, and shall swiftly consider the measures that need to be taken.
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North Korea announced that it had conducted a nuclear test in October 2006. In addition, in April this year it went ahead with the launch of a missile which violated Security Council resolutions, despite calls for restraint from the countries concerned including Japan. A nuclear test conducted despite the call in the Presidential Statement of 13 April 2009 for North Korea to comply fully with Security Council resolution 1718 represents an additional serious challenge to the authority of the United Nations Security Council.
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Japan has requested that an urgent meeting of the Security Council be convened, and shall swiftly respond in close collaboration with the United States, the Republic of Korea and the international community within the framework of the Security Council as well as elsewhere. Japan also calls upon North Korea to comply fully with UN Security Council resolution 1718 and other relevant resolutions and statements. In addition, Japan takes this occasion to urge North Korea once again to take concrete action conducive to the comprehensive resolution of outstanding issues of concern concerning North Korea, including the abduction, nuclear and missile issues.
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With regard to the radiation effects on Japan from the nuclear test, the government intends to convene meetings of the Inter-ministerial Consultation Committee on Counter-radiation Measures, and with the cooperation of relevant ministries and organizations, shall reinforce its system of measuring radiation levels and respond in a thorough manner in collaboration with the countries concerned.
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