North Korea said it hit the button on its fifth and potentially most powerful nuclear test Friday morning, claiming to have successfully detonated a nuclear warhead that could be mounted on ballistic rockets.

North Korea has been under UN sanctions since January 2016 because of its multiple nuclear tests and rocket launches.

Photo: An expert shows on the geographical map the area of the North Korean testing ground for nuclear weapons.

The citizens of South Korea, Russian Primorye, China and Japan felt the detonation caused a 5.3 magnitude earth tremor.

Pyongyang does not hide that it is conducting nuclear tests. Immediately after the news about the earthquake in the world media, the authorities of the DPRK confirmed that this was really connected with the fifth tests of nuclear weapons. In addition, the North Korean government stresses that the country will continue to develop the nuclear program.

The greatest stress caused by the nuclear tests of the DPRK is experienced by residents of South Korea. These states are divided into two Korean Peninsula. The demilitarized zone between the countries reaches a width of only 4 km.

The blast is estimated to have had the explosive power of 10 kilotons, almost twice as large as the most recent test in January. South Korea was the first of all countries to declare about the unprecedented strength of the tested weapon.

In some provinces of China because of the aftershocks the work of educational institutions was suspended – all students were evacuated from the building.

Photo: The evacuation of students in Jilin Province

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that it was "absolutely unacceptable" if North Korea had conducted another nuclear test.

North Korea carried out the latest nuclear test in retaliation to the threat of sanctions and pressure from the United States.