American administration and, perhaps more significantly,handed the right-wing nationalists in Japan a gold-plated boost to plans for the revision of the country's pacifist constitution and the adoption of a more forward-looking defence policy.

Kim's North Korea has always seen Japan as the archenemy as a result of experiences during the Second World War but more for propaganda reasons than anything else. He now risks having his propaganda taken all too seriously with the Japanese military being given the power to make what amounts to a pre-emptive strike the moment launch preparations are detected. Japan's American-written peace constitution would be a thing of the past and Pyongyang would have a real adversary ready to nail it should it step out of line.

Under the new proposals Japan could use sea-launched cruise missiles in pre-emptive strikes against a hostile nation's missile sites, having first detected launch preparations with reconnaissance satellites. The plan's backers say that it would remain within the scope of Japan's defence-only policy, stressing that such strikes could only be used to prevent an imminent attack.

That's an opinion which is apparently shared by Prime Minister Taro Aso who had this to say in response to a question in the Japanese Diet, or parliament: 'As long as it is evident that no other measures would suffice… striking the enemy's missile is guaranteed under the constitution. It falls within the scope of self-defence. It's different from pre-emptive attacks.' He claimed that there would be no need for constitutional change and reminded the house that the self-defence forces were thus far unequipped to carry out such strikes.

So far no one is letting on the true size of the North Korean blast or whether it represents anything like a deployable weapon but in many ways that is virtually irrelevant since Pyongyang's nuclear poker generally is all about something totally different.

This time is no different and the cognoscenti believe that the real reasons for the timing of the blast are linked to the succession in North Korea. This has become a major focus since the Kim's stroke last August.

The 'Great Leader' Kim Il-Sung started the handover process to his son 20 years before his death and plenty of time was allotted to entrenching Jong-Il, a man who had little standing with the all-important military before he took office. Even then there were times when it appeared the succession might not 'take' and there have been reports of assassination attempts against Jong-Il over the years.

There have been a series of rumours about the succession over the past few months mostly relating to his brother-in-law and then his sons. This time the rumours seem to have a more substantial basis and they centre on Kim Jong-un, his youngest son who was born in 1983 or 1984. Little is known about him except that he was educated in Switzerland and is believed to speak English and Swiss German. There is no confirmed photograph of him as an adult. He is the son of a Japanese-born professional dancer Ko Yong-hui who was Kim's official wife or mistress until she died some years ago. He is said to be the son who most closely resembles his father.

It is reported that North Korean officials were told to support Kim Jong-un after the nuclear test took place, according to South Korean intelligence briefings for local politicians. Already children are reportedly being taught songs in praise of their new leader.

The first hint of his promotion came when he was elevated to the powerful National Defence Commission in April. That was already a remarkable step up for such a youthful figure who apparently has no military record. Just how well that will sit with the powerful leadership of the North Korean military is unclear but it seems likely that the nuclear test was, in part, reassurance to the military of its continued prominence and also a clever device to deflect foreign attention from what was going on at home. Certainly the regime would have felt that this is a delicate transition.

On the broader front Kim's policy of mendicant mendacity — doing atrocious things in order to be bought off — is not likely to wash with the new U.S. administration. Already one official is quoted as saying that America is tired of buying the same horse over and over again. But that may now become inevitable following the arrest of two female journalists along the Yalu river.
Laura Ling and Euna Lee were seized as they filmed for a documentary on the North. Some reports indicate that they were actually on the Chinese side at the time which means their seizure would amount to little more than kidnapping. With the pair sentenced to 12 years' hard labour, the United States now has to contend with a powerful bargaining chip in Pyongyang's hands.

Whether or not the American side despatches a high level envoy to plead on the pair's behalf it seems certain that the North will seek concessions on the nuclear front as part of any package.

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