North Korean nuclear test (2006)

DPRK test 1

Test deviceNorth KoreaImplosion fission

No freely licensed photo of this device yet.

Yield · TNT equivalent0.7–2 kt

Key specs

Country: North Korea
Design: Implosion fission
Type: Test device
Number built: 1

Overview

North Korea’s first nuclear test, an underground plutonium device fired at Punggye-ri in October 2006. Its yield of well under 2 kt suggests it partly failed.

Effect radii: estimates

Calculated for 2 kt

Fireball, maximum radius: ≈ 80 m
Thermal: third-degree burns: ≈ 890 m
Blast 5 psi: most buildings collapse: ≈ 890 m
Initial radiation, 500 rem (5 Sv): ≈ 960 m
Blast 1 psi: windows shatter: ≈ 2.8 km

Estimated ground ranges for an air burst at the optimum height over flat, open ground, computed from the yield with standard scaling laws. These are not measurements: real effects depend on the height of burst, terrain, buildings and weather.

Formulas from: Glasstone & Dolan, The Effects of Nuclear Weapons (1977), chapter II; Carey Sublette, Nuclear Weapons FAQ, section 5

Tests and use

Date	Event	Site	Yield
Oct 9, 2006	North Korean nuclear test (2006)	Punggye-ri Test Site, North Korea	2 kt

Sources

2006 North Korean nuclear test, Wikipedia