North Korea's nuclear tests
North Korea has carried out six nuclear tests since 2006, most of them after Kim Jong Un took power in 2011.
Timeline
Power*
2006
0.5–2 kt
KIM JONG IL
’07
’08
2–4
’09
’10
’11
6–9
’12
’13
7–10
’14
KIM JONG UN
’15
’16
10
’17
’18
’19
140+
’20
’21
’22
’23
’24
*The power of a nuclear bomb can be measured
as yield – the amount of energy released at
detonation, in kilotons (kt).
Timeline
Power*
2006
0.5–2 kt
KIM JONG IL
’07
’08
2–4
’09
’10
’11
6–9
’12
’13
7–10
’14
KIM JONG UN
’15
’16
10
’17
’18
’19
140+
’20
’21
’22
’23
’24
*The power of a nuclear bomb can be measured as yield
– the amount of energy released at detonation,
in kilotons (kt).
Nuclear test timeline
KIM JONG IL
KIM JONG UN
2006
’07
’08
’09
’10
’11
’12
’13
’14
’15
’16
’17
’18
’19
’20
’21
’22
’23
’24
140+
10
0.5–2 kt
2–4
6–9
7–10
Power
Yield is one way to measure the power of a nuclear bomb –
it’s the amount of energy released at detonation, in kilotons (kt).
