N Korea's nuclear quest: A chronology

North Korea announced on Monday that it had carried out a nuclear test, upstaging Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's diplomatic meetings in Beijing and Seoul, just as previous bold actions were timed to capture maximum attention.

North Korea may face more sanctions after raising the nuclear ante in Asia with an atomic test, although an outbreak of war appears unlikely now, officials and analysts said on Monday.

While North Korea's announcement had a generaly muted impact on global markets, the reaction from governments around the world was loud and clear.

The White House called it a "provocative act, in defiance of the will of the international community".

Here is an overview of similar tactics by Pyongyang in the past: -

December: A U.S.-led consortium signs a $4.6 billion contract for two Western-developed light-water nuclear reactors in North Korea.