That's not a joke, by the way. It's really from AP.
South Korea says there was no explosion in North Korean county / AP September 17, 2004 SEOUL, South Korea
South Korea said Friday that a massive explosion previously reported to have created a mushroom cloud in North Korea did not take place in the area that was originally pinpointed.
The huge cloud — initially detected by South Korean intelligence authorities and widely reported as smoke from an explosion by South Korean news media — is believed to have been a natural cloud, said Deputy Unification Minister Lee Bong-jo.
‘‘We believe that there was no explosion in the place where intelligence authorities had previously suspected that there were signs of an explosion,’’ Lee said.
‘‘We believe that the explosion described by North Korea took place in Samsu County, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the originally suspected site, and has to do with a hydroelectric project,’’ Lee told a regular news briefing.
‘‘Yesterday, North Korea escorted diplomats from seven countries to the hydroelectric construction site,’’ Lee said. ‘‘We understand that the North Korean authorities told the diplomats that there were two blasts at the time in question.’’
The size of the reported explosion and its timing on the 56th anniversary of North Korea’s founding had raised speculation that it might be a nuclear test. Experts say they don’t believe the blast near the Chinese border was such a test.
North Korea acknowledged there was a massive explosion on Sept. 9 but said it was part of demolition work for the hydroelectric project in Samsu County. On Thursday, it allowed Britain’s ambassador and other diplomats in Pyongyang to visit the site of the project to verify its claim that the blast wasn’t caused by a nuclear test.
http://www.iht.com/articles/539330.html