Inside story - Nuclear tension - 28 May 09

This week North Korea conducted an underground nuclear explosion, its second since 2006 and a direct violation of a United Nations Security Council resolution. It then test-fired several short range missiles, and announced it would respond militarily if international forces attempted to intercept its ships. This last came after South Korea joined a naval force that stops and inspects vessels suspected of carrying banned weapons.
It's part of a U.S. led programme called the Proliferation Security Initiative to blockade any nation suspected of trading nuclear materials. In response North Korea has said it is no longer bound by the 1953 truce which ended the war with the South.
That's heightened tensions on the peninsula, leading U.S. and South Korean troops to raise their alert level. President Barack Obama has strongly condemned Pyongyang's actions and called for a strong international response.

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