A military monitoring team dispatched to the Korea Institute of Geoscience & Mineral Resources. A few additional monitoring stations set up and in operation along DMZ.
The government and military authorities went into all-out monitoring of N. Korean nuclear test because the chance of N. Korea going ahead with the test shot up after N. Korea launched missiles on July 5, and UN passed resolution against N. Korea.
A government source said in Aug. 20, "6-party talks on N. Korean nuke is still in deadlock. After the missile launches, it is our view that there are higher chances than ever that N. Korea would go ahead with underground nuclear test. We are in airtight monitoring 24 hour a day."
According to the source, the government is conducting its monitoring through Korea Institute of Geoscience & Mineral Resources, located at Daeduk Research Park in Taejon, which is a seismic activity monitoring institute under Ministry of Science and Technology.
In particular, in a rare top secret move, six soldiers were recently assigned to the Institute for monitoring duty of the N. Korean test. Military used to have little reason for dispatching soldiers to the Institute.
The soldiers dispatched all majored in Natural Resource Engineering or Geology before they were drafted for military service. They were screened and selected in accordance with the requirements. For now, they are assigned to the Institute until early Nov..
It said, "As far as I know, it is not the Institute which requested the dispatch of the soldiers. It was decided on the government level."
Their dispatch was a decision by the government and it went through Joint Chief of Staffs and Ministry of Defense.
It went on, "Soldiers do not play a critical role in the monitoring. Rather their presence is to ensure 24-hour monitoring. They are basically on watch duty."
Since the soldiers would be discharged after completing their (preset period of) service, it would be difficult to continue the monitoring uninterrupted. For that reason, the Institute made a separate request to the government.
S. Korea joined Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty(CTBT), and conducts its monitoring of N. Korean nuclear test at Wonju Seismic Monitoring Station(KSRS.)
In addition, it is said that a few additional monitoring stations are set up along DMZ and in operation.
A government official, regarding Aug. 17 U.S. report of possible N. Korean nuclear test, said, "After the UN resolution in response to the missile launches, N. Korea said that they are readying 'a more powerful stuff.' The logical possibility (of N. Korean nuclear test) prompted us to do the monitoring."
Another official emphasized, "When N. Korea said it will show something bigger last month upon their missile launches, it meant nuclear test. We find it quite possible, and stepped up our monitoring. It will continue to be a possibility."
N. Korea warned, on July 6, right after missile launches, and on July 16, after the UN resolution was passed, "Any attempt to pressure us will compel us to take much stronger physical action."
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