Defense officials, experts to gauge N. Korea's nuclear capability

SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- Defense officials and experts were to gather together later on Tuesday to gauge North Korea's nuclear capability following the communist country's recent nuclear test, the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday.

Minister of National Defense Han Min-koo, Vice Minister of National Defense Hwang In-moo and 17 other defense and military officials are set to hold a workshop at the defense ministry at 2 p.m. with seven experts on North Korea, mostly from state-run research centers including the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses.

Technical assessment of the recent nuclear test by North Korea, how to respond to the test on the diplomatic front and how to denuclearize the communist country will be the main topics of the discussion, according to the ministry.

On Jan. 6, the North claimed it conducted a "successful hydrogen bomb test," a claim discredited by the international community.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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