US was notified of NKorea nuke tests

South Korean army soldiers patrol near the demilitarized zone of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. North Korea apparently conducted a widely anticipated nuclear test Tuesday, strongly indicated by an "explosion-like" earthquake that monitoring agencies around the globe said appeared to be unnatural.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean army soldiers patrol near the demilitarized zone of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. North Korea apparently conducted a widely anticipated nuclear test Tuesday, strongly indicated by an "explosion-like" earthquake that monitoring agencies around the globe said appeared to be unnatural.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Published Feb 12, 2013

Share

Washington - North Korea advised the U.S. State Department of its intention to test a nuclear device prior to Tuesday's underground explosion, but did not say when it would conduct the test, department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

“The DPRK did inform us at the State Department of their intention to conduct a nuclear test, without citing any specific timing,” she told reporters, using North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Nuland said the notice came through “usual channels” but declined to say when Washington received the notification. - Reuters)

Related Topics: