Just hitting the wires.

“SEOUL – South Korea defense monitors detected an “artificial earthquake” in a region of North Korea on Monday morning and senior government leaders suspect it may have been a test of a nuclear device, a representative of South Korea’s presidential office said.

The seismic reading, amounting to 4.5 on the Richter scale, was centered in the same county and province as the place where North Korea tested its first nuclear device in October 2006, the representative said. South Korean military and defense officials were trying to determine more deals.

North Korea several weeks ago issued a statement saying it was considering making a second test of a nuclear device.”

Perhaps NK believed the South would be “distracted” with national ceremonies for Roh Moo-Hyun who killed himself on Saturday, thinking they could slide this by. Happened around 9:54 AM Korea time (+14 hours). Asian stocks according to Market Watch declined on the news. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has convened an emergency meeting within hours.

Have Korean satellite on here at the cabin, South Korean news it all over it.

Meanwhile, it’s unknown if Gibbs has woken Obama with the news yet.

Updates to come!

UPDATE: A South Korean/US Forces on Alert. So far nothing on the Obama Channel MSNBC, “Shhhhhh, might wake the KING!”

Noteworthy is that Kim is reportedly planning to turn over power to either his brother in law or his third son, which has me thinking that this is yet the latest step up in aggression since Kim’s stroke in August. First they withdrew from diplomacy talks aimed at ending it’s nuclear weapons development, and then fired a test missile on April 5th.

A second test will most likely follow.

Has Gibbs woken the King yet?

UPDATE: MSNBC still no “Breaking Headline”? Pathetic. Meanwhile Drudge has it up (I beat homeboy by an hour).

Michelle Malkin: “Gird your loins“, heh. Hey GIBBS! Did you wake the King yet???

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