John Murphy (Lowe, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister advise the House concerning reports that North Korea has conducted an underground nuclear explosion?

Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lowe for his question. I am sure members will recall that in October 2006 North Korea conducted an underground nuclear explosion, which was subsequently verified by international agencies. That followed on a few months after a launch of a missile by North Korea, albeit with limited success. Members would also recall that last month North Korea also tested a missile, which was considerably more successful. Today the North Korean official state news agency has claimed that North Korea has conducted a successful underground nuclear test. The claim of a test itself is a very provocative act and the claim of a test itself is worthy of nothing other than the condemnation of Australia, which it gets, and the condemnation of the international community.

Australia condemned North Korea’s missile launch last month and that condemnation was appropriately joined by the United Nations Security Council and others in our region and internationally. Very regrettably, I have to advise the House that the initial evidence is that North Korea has in fact conducted an underground nuclear explosion. Whilst it will take a couple of days to formally verify that through atmospheric tests, it appears from the early advice and scientific analysis that an underground nuclear explosion occurred in North Korea at 9.54 am local Korean time this morning or 10.54 am Australian Eastern Standard Time. Seismic activity in the order of a 4.5 Richter scale seismic event was picked up by Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation monitoring stations throughout the region, including in Australia. That data was transmitted by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation monitoring system to Vienna and from Vienna has been relayed to other national and international agencies, including our own Geoscience Australia.

As I indicated to the House, it will take a couple of days to confirm absolutely from atmospheric tests that this is indeed a nuclear underground explosion. Australia for the moment is proceeding on the basis that North Korea has conducted an underground nuclear explosion. On that basis, North Korea is in flagrant breach of its international obligations, is in flagrant breach of United Nations Security Council resolution 1718, and, as such, stands condemned.

Australia will conduct itself in the same manner we did after the missile launch by North Korea last month. We will immediately consult with our allies and our partners in the region, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan, and with their assistance take this matter to the Security Council. On the basis that North Korea has conducted a nuclear underground explosion, it deserves and gets nothing other than our absolute condemnation, and that condemnation should be echoed around our region and the globe. There is only one option for North Korea: it should immediately desist from all of these provocative acts; it should immediately comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions—in particular, resolution 1718; and it should immediately resume the six-party talks.

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence: there are media reports, as the Minister for Foreign Affairs said, that North Korea has conducted a nuclear test. There are also reports coming out of South Korea just half an hour ago that North Korea has also conducted a short-range missile test. These reports, as the foreign minister said, are yet to be verified, but both South Korean and United States authorities have reported that there are tremors in the area and therefore this provocative act is being taken seriously. The coalition joins with the government in supporting calls by Japan that the Security Council meet as soon as possible to consider the impact on regional peace and security that this provocative act or acts, if proven, will cause and in particular to take into account resolution 1718 of 2006, whereby the Security Council expressed its grave concern over the first nuclear test that occurred on 9 October 2006 and at that time demanded that North Korea cease all further nuclear tests and also cease any ballistic missile testing. As members of the House know, North Korea did proceed with a long-range ballistic missile test in April of this year, and now we have these reports of a further nuclear test. The coalition joins with the government in condemning these provocative acts on the part of North Korea.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on this deeply disturbing note, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.