USM Expert Weighs in on North Korea

Hattiesburg, Miss. - North Korea has caused tension over the recent years in East Asia and Wednesday made news again.

This time for a nuclear test that happened on its soil.

USM military history professor, Kenneth Swope said, "According to international observers and recorders, judging from seismic activities, there was a major detonation of nuclear weapon of some type. Most experts think it wasn't a hydrogen bomb, but rather a more ordinary lesser atomic bomb."

Swope said all of North Korea's neighbors condemn the nuclear test, including its biggest ally in China.

But, the Korean Government issued a statement that was aimed toward the United States.

Swope said "they really didn't say anything about South Korea or about Japan or other powers of the area. They condemned the United States for continuing to incite violence in East Asia for not wanting to sign a peace treaty over the Korean War. Of course, that nobody wanted to sign."

Ever since 9/11, more U.S. troops have left East Asia with more focus being in the Middle East.

Swope said "and I think that has allowed certain tensions for things to simmer in East Asia and kind of develop. And I don't think that any presidential administration would've done something dramatically different. But certaintly, the Obama Administration is been perceived as being much less invested in that area than the Bush Administration."

According to reports, China and North Korea will meet to see if the two sides can reach an agreement that North Korea will not set-off anymore nuclear test.