Key Dates In North Korean History And Weapons Development

SEOUL, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -9th Sept,2016) - North Korea carried out its fifth and most powerful nuclear test on Friday, sparking condemnation from regional leaders. Here are some key dates in North Korean history and in its development of long-range missiles and nuclear weapons: 1945: Japan's colonial rule over Korea ends with its World War II surrender.

1948: Korea is formally divided at the 38th parallel between the North, backed by the Soviet Union, and the South, supported by the United States. 1950-53: The North invades the South and war breaks out.

The US intervenes on behalf of the South as part of a United Nations force, while China sides with the North. Some four million are killed. War ends with an armistice, not a formal peace treaty.

Late 1970s: North Korea starts working on a version of the Soviet Scud-B (range 300 kilometres or 190 miles). Test-fired in 1984. 1987-92: North begins developing variant of Scud-C (500 km), Rodong-1 (1,300 km), Taepodong-1 (2,500 km), Musudan-1 (3,000 km) and Taepodong-2 (6,700 km).

1989: US satellite pictures reveal a nuclear reprocessing plant at North Korea's Yongbyon complex. 1994: The US comes close to war with North Korea over its removal of spent fuel rods from the Yongbyon reactor.

1994, July 8: Founding president Kim Il-Sung dies aged 82. He is succeeded by his son Kim Jong-Il. 1998: North Korea test-fires its first long-range ballistic missile, a Taepodong-1, over Japan as part of failed satellite launch.

2000: North and South Korea hold their first-ever summit. A second is held in 2007. 2003: North Korea withdraws from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. 2005: For the first time, North Korea states that it has nuclear weapons.

2006, July 5: North test-fires seven missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2 which explodes after 40 seconds, triggering UN condemnation and sanctions. 2006, October: first nuclear test 2007: North Korea agrees in February to scrap its nuclear facilities in return for economic aid and diplomatic benefits, claims site is closed in July.

2009, April 5: the North launches a long-range rocket and announces it will restart its Yongbyon complex. 2009, May 25: second nuclear test 2011, December 19: North Korean state media say Kim Jong-Il has died at 69 of a heart attack and urges people to support his son and successor Kim Jong-Un.

2012: North Korea test fires rockets, including a long-range one in December which the international community condemns as a disguised ballistic missile test. 2013, February 12: third nuclear test 2013, December 13: North Korea announces the execution of Kim Jong-Un's uncle and political mentor, in a move seen by some as a sign of internal dissent.

2015, May: North Korea test-fires a submarine-launched ballistic missile, but experts say it was short of a full flight test. -- December 3: Satellite images indicate North Korea is excavating a new tunnel at its main nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, US think tank says.

-- December 11: Kim Jong-Un claims North Korea has developed a hydrogen bomb, but Washington says it doubts Pyongyang has a thermonuclear device. 2016, January 6: fourth nuclear test, which North Korea claims was a hydrogen bomb 2016 February 7: North Korea launches a satellite-bearing rocket, an operation widely seen as a covert ballistic missile test -- March 9: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un claims his country has successfully miniaturised a thermo-nuclear warhead.

-- April 15: North Korea tries but fails to test-fire what appears to be a medium-range missile on the birthday of founding leader Kim Il-Sung. -- April 23: North Korea test fires a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

-- July 6: The United States places North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on its sanctions blacklist. -- July 8: US and South Korea announce plans to deploy an advanced missile defence system -- the US THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence).

-- August 3: North Korea fires a ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters for the first time. -- August 24: Successfully test-fires a submarine-launched ballistic missile, in what it says is retaliation for large-scale South Korea-US military exercises.

-- September 5: North Korea fires three ballistic missiles off its east coast in a new show of force that comes as top world leaders meet at the G20 summit in China. 2016, September 9: Fifth nuclear test bur/ceb/hg