French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said on Wednesday that the
test explosion of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was either
non-nuclear or a failure due to its relatively low intensity.
"Given its weakness, it is hard to say if it was an
explosion with a very large amount of conventional explosive or indeed a nuclear
explosion," said the minister in an interview with Europe-1 radio.
"And whatever the case, if indeed it was a nuclear explosion, then it was a
failed test, if I can put it like that," she said.
Alliot-Marie also said even if the explosion was a failure, it would not
change the serious nature of the test.
"There could be a new test, and in any case, it flies in the face of the
position of the international community against the proliferation of nuclear
weapons," she said.
The DPRK announced on Monday that it had conducted a successful underground
nuclear test.
