PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) -- North Korea says it has tested a "miniaturized" nuclear device in defiance of U.N. orders to stop building atomic weapons.
Official state media reported Tuesday that it was conducted in a safe manner.
This third nuclear test could take North Korea closer to its goal of building a nuclear warhead small enough to be mounted on a long-range missile.
Any test would be seen as another big step toward North Korea's goal of building a warhead that can be mounted on a missile. It would also be a bold signal from young leader Kim Jong Un, who took power in December 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong Il.
