North Korea has conducted its fifth nuclear test — its second this year and its largest to date, defying the intensifying international pressure on the isolated communist state.

不顾日益加大的国际压力，孤立的共产主义国家朝鲜实施了该国第五次核试验。这是今年的第二次核试验，也是该国迄今规模最大的核试验。

Seoul’s defence ministry said an explosion was detected near North Korea’s known nuclear test site at 9:30am Korea time on Friday. South Korea’s military believes the nuclear test had an estimated yield of 10 kilotons, a ministry official said. The nuclear bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima was 15 kilotons.

韩国国防部表示，韩国时间周五上午9点半，在朝鲜已知核试验场地附近侦测到一次爆炸。一名国防部官员表示，韩国军方认为，这次核试验当量估计为1万吨。作为参照，当初投放在广岛的核弹当量为1.5万吨。

Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s president, said the nuclear test showed the “maniacal recklessness” of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

韩国总统朴槿惠(Park Geun-hye)表示，这次核试验显示了朝鲜领导人金正恩(Kim Jong Un)“疯狂的鲁莽”。

“What the Kim Jong-un regime will get from the nuclear test is stronger international sanctions and deeper isolation. This kind of provocation would just hasten its self-destruction,” Ms Park said.

朴槿惠表示：“金正恩政权从这次核试验中得到的，将是更强烈的国际制裁和更进一步的孤立。这种挑衅只会加剧其自我毁灭。

North Korea had warned it would take “physical counteraction” after Seoul announced a decision in July to deploy a US anti-ballistic missile system in South Korea as a shield against the North’s increasing military threats.

今年7月，韩国政府宣布决定在韩国部署一种美国反弹道导弹系统，作为抵御朝鲜日益增强的军事威胁的盾牌。在那之后，朝鲜曾警告称会采取“实际对抗行为”。