(2nd LD) N. Korea claims it succeeded in nuclear fusion

Yonhap News ^

[TigerLikesRooster]

(2nd LD) N. Korea claims it succeeded in nuclear fusion

By Sam Kim and Byun Duk-kun

SEOUL, May 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Wednesday it succeeded in producing a nuclear fusion reaction, a claim that appeared to be aimed at increasing its bargaining power before the communist state rejoins stalled six-nation talks on its nuclear ambitions.

Fusion reaction results in a thermonuclear explosion, such as one generated by a hydrogen bomb, which is far more powerful than a fission atomic device. Experts, however, say practical energy creation from fusion is decades away.

"The successful nuclear fusion marks a great event that demonstrated the rapidly developing cutting-edge science and technology" of North Korea, the Rodong Sinmum, the newspaper of its ruling party, said in a report seen in Seoul.

The paper described the nuclear fusion technology as useful for "obtaining safe and environment-friendly new energy," but did not refer to its military implications.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity, told reporters the North Korean announcement is "absurd" considering a lack of intelligence indicating Pyongyang is capable of such a costly project.

[TigerLikesRooster]

P!

[2ndDivisionVet]

Were they also able to turn lead into gold and bring Kim Il Sung back to life? How’s their Mars mission coming?

[Telepathic Intruder]

It’s probably just a fission-boosted reaction, similar to what we thought Russia had created once. Theirs was actually a pancake device, even more powerful than our core-collapse devices, although requiring a lot more fission detonations to set it off. I doubt North Korea has the resources to do anything of the same.

[XHogPilot]

Lets hope DPRK can demonstate this in downtown Pyeongyang!

[camle]

paging Drs. Pons and Fleischmann! pick up the red phone!

[sefarkas]

The journalists and editors responsible for repeating such propaganda should be fired. There is no way that the DPRK is able to synchronize multiple atomic (fission) bombs in a coordinated way to achieve nuclear fusion in the conventional understanding of the conditions needed for fusion. Did they mean “cold fusion”? The moderators should pull this type of post.

[ThunderSleeps]

Wow, I'm glad the North Korean leadership is so reasonable, responsible, and such a great friend of ours now that obama is in office and his policies have taken effect.

Oh, wait, that's right... Our "relationship" with NK has taken a significant turn for the worse under obama's tender care. NK continues to develop nuclear weapons technology, long range missile technology, they've been emboldened to sink a South Korean Navy ship...

Good job obama! I feel so much safer...NOT!

[norwaypinesavage]

I bet it was Cold fusion, too. Goes along with Dear Leader’s score of 18 on a round of golf.

[2001convSVT]

So that's were Fleischmann-Pons ended up, North Korea, who would have thought?

[Sawdring]

The North has Fusion and the South has Stem Cell research.

[TigerLikesRooster]

LOL.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Bump.