DPRK Nuclear Test 2009

On 25 May 2009, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced it had successfully conducted an underground nuclear test at the Punggye-ri site in North Hamgyong Province. It was the country's second nuclear detonation, following an initial test in October 2006. Seismic monitoring by the United States Geological Survey and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) registered an event of roughly magnitude 4.7, with yield estimates from independent analysts generally placing the device in the low single-digit kiloton range—larger than the 2006 test but still modest by historical standards.

The test came weeks after the DPRK launched a long-range rocket on 5 April 2009, which the UN Security Council condemned in a Presidential Statement on 13 April. Pyongyang responded by expelling IAEA and US monitors from the Yongbyon nuclear complex and withdrawing from the Six-Party Talks, the negotiating framework involving China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the United States, and the DPRK.

In response to the May test, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1874 on 12 June 2009. The resolution:

• Condemned the test in the strongest terms and demanded the DPRK not conduct further tests or ballistic missile launches.
• Expanded the arms embargo imposed under Resolution 1718 (2006).
• Authorized member states to inspect DPRK cargo suspected of containing prohibited items.
• Called on states to deny financial services that could contribute to WMD programs.

The test marked a significant escalation in the North Korean nuclear crisis and effectively ended the Six-Party Talks process, which has not formally reconvened. It was followed by further tests in 2013, January 2016, September 2016, and 2017, each accompanied by additional Security Council resolutions tightening the sanctions regime against Pyongyang.