From AP:

South Korea - South Korean government officials said North Korea performed its first-ever nuclear weapons test Monday, the South’s Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korean officials could not immediately confirm the report.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun convened an urgent meeting of security advisers over the issue, Yonhap reported.

The North said last week it would conduct a nuclear test as part of its deterrent against a possible U.S. invasion.

The director of South Korea’s monitoring center that is watching for a test with sound and seismic detectors declined to immediately comment on the report. The U.S. Geological Survey said it had detected no seismic activity in North Korea, although it was not clear whether a blast would be strong enough for its sensors.

I wonder if members of the Clinton administration are again toasting this momentus milestone of their 1994 Framework Agreement?

*****FLASHBACK*****
June 26, 2004 on this blog:
Let’s look at two scenarios, played out by two Presidents:

1. War in Iraq insures Saddam Hussein, a ruthless, murdering dictator guilty of invading neighbor countries, using WMDs and hating America, will never get a chance to build and use a nuke.

2. A framework agreement with North Korea asking for the promise not to build nukes from a ruthless, murdering dictator gets us this:

BEIJING - North Korea has threatened to test a nuclear weapon unless Washington accepts Pyongyang’s conditions for a freeze of its nuclear weapons program, a senior U.S. official said.

North Korea said it wants hefty energy aid in exchange for the freeze, calling on the United States to make a “responsible, bold decision.” The demands came at six-nation talks Friday. source

The very kind of blackmail we didn’t want to see.

Any questions?
*****
Saddam had every intention of doing exactly what Kim Jong Il has now done. Now imagine if we’d treated Iraq the same way and continued down the road of useless U.N. sanctions and “containment”.

Update:
Looks like it’s official.

In Seoul a foreign ministry spokesman said South Korea’s intelligence agency has detected a 3.58-magnitude seismic tremor, following North Korea’s announcement of a nuclear test.

Update 2:
South Korean stock market is tumbling fast on the news. KOSPI | KOSDAQ

Update 3:
Here’s why NK’s nuclear test is a big deal.

Update 4:
Harry Reid is thanking Kim Jong Il for giving him some campaign material down the stretch.

Update 5:
A second “blast”?

Update 6:
Some experts are saying that the first NK nuclear test registered less seismic activity than Michael Moore diving for a twinkie.

Others:
John’s on the same wavelength in his coverage.
Wall-to-wall coverage at HotAir.
Bryan is awaiting Tokyo’s reaction.