---
title: Isotopes hint at North Korean nuclear test
date: 2012-02-03T17:43:56Z
modified: 2012-02-03T17:43:56Z
permalink: "https://nko.org/isotopes-hint-north-korean-nuclear-test/"
type: post
status: publish
excerpt: ""
wpid: 1469
categories:
  - Environment
  - War
tags:
  - Environment
  - War
  - Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
  - Lars-Erik De Geer
  - Nature
  - North Korea
  - nuclear
  - radioisotope data
  - Swedish Defence Research Agency
  - test
author: Paul Garrett Hugel
timestamp: 2012-02-03T17:43:56Z
---

Data suggest that the country has experimented with a fusion boost to its fission weapons.

Geoff Brumfiel
03 February 2012

North Korea may have conducted two covert nuclear weapons tests in 2010, according to a fresh analysis of radioisotope data.

The claim has drawn scepticism from some nuclear-weapons experts. But if confirmed, the analysis would double the number of tests the country is known to have conducted and suggest that North Korea is trying to develop powerful warheads for its fledgling nuclear arsenal.

[![](http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/7.2687.1328287117!/image/Nuke_watching_map.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_300/Nuke_watching_map.jpg)

](http://www.nature.com/news/nuke-watching-map-jpg-7.2687?article=1.9972)

Read more at[ Nature](http://www.nature.com/news/isotopes-hint-at-north-korean-nuclear-test-1.9972 "Isotopes hint at North Korean nuclear test")

## Topics

**Categories:** [Environment](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/category/environment.md), [War](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/category/war.md)

**Tags:** [Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/comprehensive-nuclear-test-ban-treaty-organization.md), [Lars-Erik De Geer](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/lars-erik-de-geer.md), [Nature](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/nature.md), [North Korea](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/north-korea.md), [nuclear](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/nuclear.md), [radioisotope data](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/radioisotope-data.md), [Swedish Defence Research Agency](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/swedish-defence-research-agency.md), [test](https://nko.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/taxonomy/post_tag/test.md)