North Korea conducts sixth nuclear test, confirms Japan

North Korea has "successfully" detonated a hydrogen bomb Sunday in what could prove to be an inflection point amid rising tensions in the Korean peninsula.

"The hydrogen bomb test was a perfect success," state-run, Korean Central Television, said. 

Japan has confirmed that North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test and has lodged a formal protest with Pyongyang.

"The government confirms that North Korea conducted a nuclear test after examining information from the weather agency and other information," Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono told reporters.

The explosion caused a 6.3 magnitude tremor at North's nuclear testing site.

South Korean experts said that the explosion was ten times more powerful than the previous test which was carried out last year.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that a sixth nuclear test will be "absolutely unacceptable".

Earlier, the Kim Jon-Un-led administration is believed to have developed a more advanced thermonuclear weapon which can be loaded on a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) covering most of mainland United States. 

(With inputs from agencies)