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North Korea has staged a "successful" underground nuclear test, the state-run KCNA agency reports.
The agency says it was more powerful than the previous one in October 2006.
US President Barack Obama described the North Korean action as a threat to international peace. Crisis talks were being held in South Korea.
Just hours after the test, North Korea appeared to have test-fired a short-range missile, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
Pyongyang has so far not commented on Yonhap's unconfirmed report.
Preparations for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council later on Monday are under way.
'Safeguarding sovereignty'
Japanese Foreign Ministry: "We'll respond in a responsible manner"
An official communique read out on North Korean state radio said another round of underground nuclear testing had been "successfully conducted... as part of measures to enhance the Republic's self-defensive nuclear deterrent in all directions".
It said the test had been "safely conducted at a new high level in terms of explosive power and control technology".
The test would "contribute to safeguard the sovereignty of the country and the nation and socialism", the communique said.
 | NUCLEAR CRISIS Oct 2006 - North Korea conducts an underground nuclear test Feb 2007 - North Korea agrees to close its main nuclear reactor in exchange for fuel aid June 2007 - North Korea shuts its main Yongbyon reactor June 2008 - North Korea makes its long-awaited declaration of nuclear assets Oct 2008 - The US removes North Korea from its list of countries which sponsor terrorism Dec 2008 - Pyongyang slows work to dismantle its nuclear programme after a US decision to suspend energy aid Jan 2009 - The North says it is scrapping all military and political deals with the South, accusing it of "hostile intent" April 2009 - Pyongyang launches a rocket carrying what it says is a communications satellite 25 May 2009 - North Korea conducts a second nuclear test  |
The US Geological Survey said a 4.7-magnitude quake was detected at 0054 GMT, 10km (six miles) underground.
Geological agencies in both South Korea and the US said the tremor indicated a nuclear explosion, and the Russian defence ministry also confirmed a test had taken place.
Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kazuo Kodama said Tokyo would respond "in a responsible fashion" at the UN, without giving further details.
The European Union said that the development was "very worrying".
Russia's UN ambassador said an emergency meeting of the Security Council would be held later on Monday.
Washington - which says it is still analysing the available data on the test - had already warned of consequences if North Korea went ahead with a threatened nuclear test.
South Korea's stock market fell 4% on the news, over fears that regional tensions would rise.
Rocket condemnation
The North gave no details of the location of the test.
However, South Korean officials said earlier that a seismic tremor was detected in the north-eastern part around the town of Kilju - the site of North Korea's first nuclear test.
Last month, Pyongyang pulled out of six-party talks on its nuclear programme, in protest against international condemnation of its test-firing of a rocket on 5 April.
The UN Security Council adopted a statement calling on North Korea to comply with a 2006 resolution banning missile tests.
Pyongyang says its rocket carried a satellite, but several nations viewed it as cover for a missile test.
The six-party talks - involving the US, China, Japan, Russia and the two Koreas - have stalled over the failure of Pyongyang to verify the shutdown of the Yongbyon nuclear plant.
North Korea had agreed to dismantle the facility as part of an aid-for-disarmament deal and, in response, the US removed North Korea from its terrorism blacklist.
But the North now believes it is no longer bound by its previous bilateral agreements with the US and agreements under the six-party talks, reports the BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul, South Korea.
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