The United Nations will not recognize North Korea as a nuclear power amid recent nuclear tests, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. He also urged Pyongyang to limit ambitions, reverse course, and focus on the well-being of its people.
The concept “nuclear power” is not specified in the international law – a state acquires the status due to recognition of the international community. Nevertheless, North Korea insists on its status of the nuclear power along with the US, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, India, and Pakistan. Pyongyang refuses to halt its nuclear program insisting on US-North Korea talks as a negotiation of two nuclear powers.
It should be noted that in 2005 before the first nuclear test, North Korea claimed it had had the nuclear status. The state is now believed to have conducted three underground nuclear tests. The most powerful one was carried out on May 2009. Then a blast of 10-20 kilotons was estimated. The power of the recent one was 6-7 kilotons.
At the moment North Korea is developing a project on long-range missiles. Though, according to data provided by the US government, the country has not appropriate technology to achieve the desired results. However, on December 12, 2012 a North Korean rocket launch put a satellite into orbit.
