BREAKING: North Korea announces 'successful' NUCLEAR test with hydrogen bomb

The artificial quake was 9.8 times more powerful than North Korea’s fifth nuclear test, according to a South Korean weather agency.

Kim Jong-un ordered the nation’s sixth nuclear test as tension continue to escalate with the US.

According to North Korea’s state media the test was a “perfect success” and a “meaningful” step in completing the country’s nuclear weapons programme.

It added: ”The H-bomb test was carried out to examine and confirm the accuracy and credibility of the power control technology and internal structural design newly introduced into manufacturing the H-bomb to be placed as the payload of the ICBM.”

The hydrogen bomb test is believed to have been conducted at North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear facility.

It follows an announcemnt from Kim Jong-un’s mouthpiece last night that North Korea had developed a more advanced nuclear weapon that has “great destructive power”.

Earlier North Korea’s state media said Kim Jong-un had supervised the loading of a hydrogen bomb into an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the US.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported: “Kim Jong-un said he felt the pride at the indomitably bolstering up of [North Korea’s] nuclear forces despite a great price as he watched the Juche-oriented thermonuclear weapon with super explosive power made by our own efforts and technology.

“He expressed great satisfaction over the fact that our scientists can do anything without fail if the party is determined to do.

“The scientists further upgraded its technical performance at a higher ultra-modern level on the basis of precious successes made in the first H-bomb test.”

KCNA also hit out at earlier reports that its missile parts were imported from the Ukraine as it declared its hyrdrogen bomb was entirely homemade. 

It said: “All components of the H-bomb were homemade and all the processes ranging from the production of weapons-grade nuclear materials to precision processing of components.”

In the last two weeks the despot nation has attempted several missile launches and threatened the US-territory of Guam.

Earlier on Saturday, Kim Jong-un continued his war of words with US President Donald Trump across international waters, claiming any attempts by the “puppets” to locate North Korea’s ballistic missile launchers will not produce any useful result.

More to follow…