Underground nuclear weapons testing

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country has built its first-ever military spy satellite and that he planned to launch it on an undisclosed date, state media reported Wednesday.

North Korea said Friday it flight-tested a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time, a possible breakthrough in its efforts to acquire a more powerful, harder-to-detect weapon targeting the continental United States.

According to state television, he also said that Pyongyang should be fully prepared to use nuclear weapons at any time.
Kim made the remarks during an inspection of the country's nuclear weapons program, during which the trigger technology was tested.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has urged his country to be ready to launch nuclear strikes at any moment, accusing the US and South Korea of expanding joint military exercises involving US nuclear-capable weapons, BTA and Reuters reported, citing local media: state agency KCNA.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un led two days of military drills "simulating a nuclear counterattack", including the launch of a ballistic missile, state media reported Monday.

The United States, Japan and South Korea warned Wednesday that a North Korean nuclear test would warrant an "unprecedentedly strong response", vowing unity after a blitz of missile launches from the hermit state.

Following talks in Tokyo, the three nations' deputy foreign ministers said they would ramp up their deterrence in the region.

North Korea's recent barrage of missile launches were tests of its tactical nuclear weapons to "hit and wipe out" potential South Korean and U.S. targets, state media reported Monday, as its leader Kim Jong Un signaled he would conduct more provocative tests.

South Korea warned Tuesday North Korea that using its nuclear weapons would put it on a "path of self-destruction," in unusually harsh language that came days after North Korea legislated a new law that would allow it to use its nuclear weapons preemptively.

North Korea has passed a law declaring its readiness to launch preventive nuclear strikes, including in the face of conventional attacks, state media said on Sept. 9. 

The move effectively eliminates the possibility of denuclearisation talks, with leader Kim Jong Un saying the country's status as a nuclear state was now "irreversible".

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Tuesday warned of a forceful response if North Korea carries out its first nuclear test explosion in nearly five years as she traveled to Seoul to meet with South Korean and Japanese allies and discuss the escalating standoff.