North Korea's 2017 Nuclear Test
North Korea · 2017 · 250 kilotons · claimed thermonuclear (unconfirmed)
Overview
Device North Korea said was an H-bomb for an ICBM (~250 kt, NORSAR; thermonuclear claimed, unconfirmed).
With an estimated yield of about 250 kilotons[1, 2], North Korea said the device was a hydrogen bomb, but the seismic signal cannot tell a fission bomb from a thermonuclear one. [1]
For the country's wider program, see the North Korea nuclear arsenal page.
North Korea 2017 Test Blast Effects
The table below shows the calculated radius of each effect zone for an air burst at optimum height. Values are scaling laws from The Effects of Nuclear Weapons (Glasstone & Dolan, 1977) and the published effects scaling table[3, 4].
| Effect zone | Radius (air burst) |
|---|---|
| Fireball radius | 0.56 km |
| Severe blast (20 psi) | 1.47 km |
| Moderate blast (5 psi) | 3.92 km |
| Light blast (1 psi) | 10.8 km |
| 3rd-degree thermal burns | 6.88 km |
| 2nd-degree thermal burns | 8.68 km |
| 1st-degree thermal burns | 11.1 km |
All radii assume an air burst at optimum height and are 1-D ground-distance estimates from the detonation point. Real-world effects depend on terrain, weather, and building construction. Casualty and fallout estimates are not shown pending a verified population and fallout model.
Run the North Korea 2017 Test on a City
Use the interactive simulator to detonate the North Korea 2017 Test on any city worldwide. Click any location on the map to see the fireball, blast, and thermal radii (air burst at optimum height) overlaid on real geography.
🎯 Simulate North Korea 2017 TestRelated Weapons
FAQ
How big is the North Korea 2017 Test blast radius?
In an air burst at optimum height, the North Korea 2017 Test produces a fireball roughly 0.56 km in radius and a 5 psi moderate-blast zone of about 3.92 km — the area in which most residential buildings would collapse. The 1 psi light-damage radius extends to roughly 10.8 km, where windows shatter.
What is the yield of the North Korea 2017 Test?
The North Korea 2017 Test has a yield of 250 kilotons of TNT equivalent. That is 17× more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.
Is the North Korea 2017 Test bigger than the Hiroshima bomb?
The Hiroshima bomb (Little Boy) had a yield of approximately 15 kilotons. The North Korea 2017 Test at 250 kilotons is 17× more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.[5]
What thermal burn radius does the North Korea 2017 Test produce?
In an air burst at optimum height, thermal radiation from the North Korea 2017 Test can cause 3rd-degree burns out to roughly 6.88 km, 2nd-degree burns to 8.68 km, and 1st-degree burns to 11.1 km.
Sources
- 1.Source: NORSAR, Summing up the nuclear test in North Korea on 3 September 2017 (22 Sep 2017) — retrieved Oct 2026
- 2.Source: United Nations (USG Jeffrey Feltman; copy hosted by CTBTO), Remarks to the Security Council on the DPRK nuclear test (4 Sep 2017) — retrieved Oct 2026
- 3.Source: U.S. DoD / DOE (Glasstone & Dolan, via Atomic Archive), The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, 3rd ed. (1977) §2.127 — retrieved Oct 2026
- 4.Source: Wikipedia, Effects of nuclear explosions — scaling-law table — retrieved Oct 2026
- 5.Source: US DOE / NNSA Nevada Field Office, United States Nuclear Tests, July 1945 through September 1992 (DOE/NV-209 Rev. 16, Sep 2015), NNSS publication library — retrieved Oct 2026