Nuclear test draws public criticism

Atomic-bomb survivors in Nagasaki have protested against North Korea's nuclear test, saying nothing justifies the denial of global efforts to abolish nuclear arms and achieve peace. Five groups in the city issued a joint statement at a news conference on Tuesday. One of the groups' leaders said it is insanity to conduct a nuclear test. He said the atomic-bomb survivors will continue sending the message to the world that it is wrong to conduct nuclear tests and to possess nuclear weapons. Another leader called for North Korea and other countries to hold peaceful talks, saying that threats solve nothing. Criticism is also coming from South Korea. A young man there called the test an unethical act, adding that South Korea should enact sanctions against the North. Another man said the North may have been trying to threaten the South during a change of power, as President-elect Park Geun-hye is scheduled to be sworn in later this month. A group of retired soldiers held a rally in Seoul. The participants chanted a slogan criticizing the North's leadership, and burned the North Korean flag. But there are also deep-rooted concerns about the test's impact on bilateral relations. A woman called for a continued inter-Korean dialogue.