The U.S. Air Force dispatched a nuclear sniffer plane today to the Sea of Japan, which is east of the Korean Peninsula.

"The WC-135 Constant Phoenix, a special-purpose U.S. plane, made an emergency sortie today over the East Sea," an anonymous source told the Korean news outlet Yonhap this morning.

WC-135 Constant Phoenix “sniffer plane,” Oct. 10, 2006.Today's flight "appears meant to check whether the secretive Communist nation [of North Korea] has detonated a nuclear bomb," Yonhap explained.

Added to the tensions of a nuclear explosion that was perhaps already carried out are unconfirmed rumors that the Hermit Dynasty warned its neighbors this was coming…

The Sniffer Plane May Be Reacting to a Rumor

Unconfirmed rumors reported by the UK's Daily Mail today claim that Pyongyang had already notified China of this nuclear experiment – that is, if the sniffer planes indeed verify that one has recently occurred.

And if that is indeed the case, it would be Pyongyang's sixth known atomic test since 2006.

This latest development comes just one week after South Korea's military announced (on April 13) that Pyongyang seemed all set to conduct a test at its Punggye-ri nuclear site.

However, various media reports released earlier this morning claim that recent satellite images of the nuclear test site appear to show North Koreans… playing volleyball:

Video Revealed: The Pentagon’s Plan to Stop a Chinese Sneak Attack Dead in Its Tracks

"North Korean nuclear test site now… a volleyball court?" – CNN , April 20

, April 20 "Volleyball Games Appear to Take Place at North Korea Test Site" – The Guardian , April 20

, April 20 "North Korea Tension: Volleyball Spotted in Nuclear Test Site" – BBC, April 20

One thing's for sure: North Korea is definitely playing some kind of game.

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