Now they ran these images that youre looking at on your screen. They ran these pictures purpo purporting to show north korea leader kim jongun expecting the device. Lets go to straight to seoul south korea. Bring us up to speed with the latest as youre hearing it. I know the South Koreans were holding a National SecurityCouncil Meeting. Thats right. The meeting is still ongoing. That meeting convened about half an hour ago. Were also hearing that the south Korean Military has been put on a higher state of alert. Theres also more surveillance taking place right now of north korea. That according to the joint chiefs of staff. Theyre just analyzing what took place in that northeastern corner of north korea, where weve known that Nuclear Tests have taken place in the past. This one, according to the United States geological survey, a magnitude 6. 3, which is, according to the earthquake scale ten times larger than the test that took place just last year in 2016 was a 5. 3. Now we cannot confirm that this was a nuclear test. But right now, all signs point to the fact that it was. Were waiting to hear from North Koreans. Also waiting to hear from the South Koreans, the americans, the japanese about what their response is going to be to this. Right now we know that theyre analyzing the swiegs. Theyre trying to determine what took place. And then what their next step is going to be. But this is the Second Development today coming from north korea. Earlier in the day, we were told we saw on north korean state media that the country has been able to miniaturize a Nuclear Weapon and put it on an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile. Thats a Major Development, too. So really two major documents coming from north korea today, isha. That has not been verified, just as is the case with this explosion, it hasnt been confirmed its a nuclear test. How difficult will it be to confirm, to verify either of these two issues . Well, to verify we still have you. Go ahead, ian. To verify these issues is going to be a task. What weve seen in the past is you have american aircraft, japanese aircraft, they fly over an area to test the air from around that area. To get samples. And that will indicate whether it was a nuclear test. As far as this miniaturized Nuclear Weapon, putting it on top of an icbm, really thats for the experts to study the pictures that have been released to try to figure out, piece to together if it was, in fact, they are able to do that. If they do have those capabilities, or if its mere propaganda that the North Koreans are trying to project the image that they have this capability. Really, these are two very big Significant Developments coming out of north korea after a fairly tense week we saw military exercises carried out by south korea. It was designed to show case how they could cake out north Korean Leadership in the event of a war. And then you also had another military exercise on thursday, which involved b1 bombers from guam, involved f35s from japan. And f15s from south korea. Show casing their unique capabilities over the course of a tenhour exercise. You also had another major niets south Korean Military exercise taking place. Then you had that earthquake in the northeastern part of the country, which appears to be a nique leer test. You also have north korea saying they are able to miniaturize a Nuclear Weapon and put it on top of an icbm. We also have heard that u. S. President donald trump has spoken with japanese Prime Minister shinzo. And they believe the next step is more isolation in north korea, which doesnt appear to have the effect. We heard all last week. The North Koreans see that as a major threat. They say what theyre going to do in response is galvanize their nuclear program. It has the reverse effect of what the americans and the japanese, the South Koreans were hoping for of trying to curb their nuclear efforts. They say its only going to galvanize them towards advancing that. You also have here in south korea president moon. While he is in that National SecurityCouncil Meeting, when he was elected president. He tried to lore the rhetoric, lower the temperature, get everyone talking and trying to find some sort of diplomatic solution. He seeps to be in a corner. Will, to pick up on what ian was saying. North koreas claim or this explosion, as well as the explosion. If it was a nuclear test and we have these claims about the Hydrogen Bomb, how does this change our understanding of the threat posed by pyongyang. They are sending a message they told us all last week. To see this message with north korean media watching this what they claim is a miniaturized h bomb ward head being loaded on a new type of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile and then to have just a few hours after that apparently, by all indications seems to be their sixth nuclear test happening roughly one year after their fifth nuclear test. Just days after the end of the joint military drills between the United States and south korea and also that flyover with u. S. And south korean planes over the grand peninsula, bombers, fighter jets. All of this as north korea defiantly responding and telling the United States that their position in the world in their view has changed. They put out an editorial the leading mouthpiece of the Ruling Workers Party of korea, just a couple of days ago saying that its time for the United States to change its long standing position refusing to acknowledge north korea for what they are, which is now a fullfledged nuclear power. They have it written into their constitution. They have since 2013. Theyre going to grow their Nations Nuclear program, along with trying to grow their nations economy simultaneously. And frankly, they have accomplished doing that. North koreas economy, despite round after round of International Sanctions grew by almost 4 last year according to south Korean Central Bank estimates. And we have seen an unprecedented barrage of missile testing. Kim jong un his launched more missiles than his father did or grandfather did. And so hes really doubled down on this strategy, which is that north korea feels that long term, perhaps in the short term they are sanctioned, they are condemned. But long term, they feel that these Nuclear Weapons will give them the leverage that they need to come to the bargaining table with the United States, a much more powerful, much more wealthy, much more influential country and north korea has in its arsenal this weapon that the United States does not have a clear cut answer to. Because any military option would be so catastrophic, especially now. It would have been catastrophic just with conventional weapons. But now with what appears to be an increasingly capable nuclear north korea, all it takes is one Nuclear Missile being launched, hitting somewhere in the world and can you imagine how devastating that would be if north korea showed they have the capabili capability. They launched over japan. It shot up to an altitude far higher than the International Space station. This is north korea saying now with these nuclear test, we have the warheads, we have the missiles if you dont talk to us, respect us, recognize us, despite what sanctions you throw at them, despite the international pressure, theyre going to continue to grow and develop their arsenal. And its noteworthy they said these warheads are 100 homemade, which means that all of the source materials they say they have inside north korea. So they dont need to have them imported from china or from other countries. They can get all of the materials inside their country to continue producing warheads even if the world were to cut them off economically. And look, north korea has survived very difficult Economic Hardship in the past. The great fam lynn of the late 1990s was a devastating time for the country. People at that time thought the regime was going to collapse when hundreds of thousands of people were dying of starvation. Yet the regime stayed firmly in control and, in fact, continued to launch missiles. Now north korea is much more selfsufficient than they were. Yes, they rely a lot on trade with china for the comfort, but when it comes down to the basics, they believe they could hunker down and continue to develop this, even if things got really bad. Even if china were to do what the United States wants them to do which is cut off the regime economically. Its a very difficult situation for the United States, which now has to ask itself a very tough question. Do they continue with a strategy that has not worked during previous u. S. Administrations, which is to try to pressure north korea, to try to pressure china, or do they have a different way of thinking about this. And is it time to talk with north korea . I also need to point out. These possible reports ouft of china that a second smaller earthquake was detected that could indicate some sort of tunnel collapse at a nuclear test site, if there was a tunnel collapse, that raises the fear in the region of radiation being spilled into the atmosphere. And right now, there are sniffer planes here in japan that will be deployed. Sniffer plays, their job is to try to detect seens of raigns on seeping into the atmosphere. That would be a Frightening Development for People Living in the mountainous regions of the north part of north korea near the border with china. The comprehensive Test Ban Treaty organization was speaking a short time ago. They said 30 of their seismic stations worldwide picked up this north korean quake, which indicates how large of an event it was. Last years explosion was a 5. 3 magnitude earthquake. This year a 6. 3 magnitude earthquake. And what we should expect to hear, it could take up to 24 hour, because north korea doesnt announce these things right away. But well have to find out how large they say this explosion was. If this is what they claim was an hbomb, how big was it. North korea had said they have the capability oproduce warheads that are significantly larger than anything weve seen them test before. Well let you go as you just completed your 14th trip to north korea, ive got to ask you about the propaganda value of such a test if indeed it is confirmed it was a nuclear test. Talk to me about the value domestically for kim jong unf fr him to have done such a thing. Its huge. Not only do they gain scientific knowledge from these test, but ill give you an example. We were down at the central train station late last week. One day after the rest of the world knew that missile was launched over northern japan. For all of tuesday, North Koreans went about their day with no idea this happened. And right now, its sunday. The only day off in north korea. And just from being in pyongyang yesterday, i can tell you. Some people are at work, some people are playing volleyball with their neighborhood volleyball teams and North Koreans at this moment are unaffair this has happened. Theyre unaware of this storm blew broouing in the outside world. But when north korea announces this, nay will have likely their major news anchor, the woman weve seen for decades announcing the major events in north korea, she will give an enthusiastic announcement claiming victory for kim jong un. They will have photos, map, theyll likely show north koreas leader in some sort of a control room overseeing the event. And they will portray this to people as a victory, as another win, another step forward, another step down the road to a Better Future for the north korean feel. Because thats what the regime tells its people. These Nuclear Tests and these Missile Launches are going to bring them a better, more prosperous future. They dont tell them, this is causing them to be more diplomatically isolated, that they face Economic Hardship because of these behavior. They say this is the path that will lead them to a stronger, better north korea. When i speak with people in the streets, including after the Missile Launch just last week, they said they believe it. Then again, what would they say. This is a country where political dissent is not tolerated. I have never heard anybody criticize the government in three years of visiting the country. Thats frankly not allowed. But i do think there are a lot of people in north korea who believe that kim jong un through this strategy, there are a lot of North Koreans who believe that this is going to bring them a Better Future for their country down the road. Because its getting them to a level where the international b community is forced to acknowledge, respect, give legitimacy to this regime which has sought that for so many years. And been unable to attain it, but yet from the north korean viewpoint, maybe on the verge of obtaining that now. And isha, when i watched the video of the missile being launched in north korea, and we have that video, you can probably cue it up for later show, people broke into a round of applause. Its seen so differently from the way the rest of the world is viewing and processing these developments out of pyongyang. We appreciate it. Thank you for the great insight. Do stand by for us. Ambassador jeffrey, thank you so much for being with us. North korea could have launched their sixth nuclear test according to the usgs. The last one was 5. 3. Significantly larger if this was indeed a nuclear test. Your reaction . This is not only a nuclear test. If we can believe the leader of north korea, this was a thermonuclear, a Hydrogen Bomb. Thats even more dangerous. We are come into an extraordinarily dangerous period. I disagree with your last speaker. Theyre not doing this to give respect to have people talk to them. We have had four administrations try to talk to them. They are trying to conquer all of korea, unite the country, and push the United States out of the western pacific. That is their goal. They are pushing a dangerous strategy. Very soon they will have the capability to rain Nuclear Missiles down on the United States. Just to be clear, you believe that north koreas end game here is one of military dominance. Does north korea honestly believe it could win any mind of military conflict on the bens la . Peninsula. Yes, i believe knot korea believes it can conquer the peninsula. It slaughtered a generation of its own young men in 1950 to 1953 to that end. We didnt think ho chi minh was serious about uniting all of vietnam. We should believe the same about this guy. Ambassador jeffrey, with your assessment, lets keep your assessment on the table that this is what north korea is going for. In that case, how should the Trump Administration respond . There is only one path forward. I disagree with this idea that chinese economic sanctions, if they reerlly abiding would not compel the regime to change course. Where does north korea get all of its oil . From china. Trade has been going on quite senatorially, despite the latest sanctions. China up to now sees north korea as another pawn in its longterm strategy to drive United States out of the western pacific. China comes to the real lags were going into war with north kor korea, that might get china to really put the screws on north kor korea. Even threatening a war is in and of itself potentially extremely dangerous and despablizing. I want to update viewers. The japanese government is now saying that those tremors detected in north korea were a nuclear test. So if youre just joining us, we want to let you know, according to the japanese government, that explosion that was detected in the northeastern part of north korea. Was a nuclear test. It measured 6. 3 on the richter scale. When they put out the initial statement, they said 5. 2. They upgraded it to 6. 3. We should watch that number. But let you read the statement that the choop nies foreign minister just gave. And it was broadcast live on japanese television. The japanese government concluded that north korea has conducted a nuclear test. That is the assessment by japan. Japan says it was indeed a nuclear test. Talk to me about a Regional Response what this means. What it means is the United States very soon will be threatened by nuclear strikes by icbms fired oit of north korea with Hydrogen Bomb warheads. That is a total game changer. It calls into question our ability to defend, not just south korea but japan. Were talking about japanese move to nuclear of weapons itself. If we dont potentially do a titfortat against north kor