South Korea has detected an "artificial earthquake" in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, seemingly caused by a nuclear test, South Korea's News Agency Yonhap report Monday.
The nation's weather agency said the earthquake was detected around local time 09:54 a.m. (0045 GMT) Monday near Gilju in the Hamkyung Province, of which the magnitude was estimated at 4.5.
The earthquake site seems to be around the area whether the first nuclear test was conducted on Oct. 9, 2006, which makes it more likely that it is related to a nuclear test, local news channel YTN reported.
South Korea's presidential office also said in a press briefing that it was reported of the earthquake and is calling for an emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting to confirm whether there was a nuclear test in the DPRK.
The meeting will be hosted by South Korean president Lee Myung-bak later in the afternoon, due to the president's early schedule to meet Qatar's Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
(Xinhua News Agency May 25, 2009)
