North Korea set to carry out fifth nuclear test

North Korea is likely to conduct its fifth nuclear test in the near future, possibly before its party congress in early May, a media report said, citing South Korean government sources based on their reading of activity around the test site.

The news comes as Pyongyang is gearing up for a ruling Workers Party congress in early May, where leader Kim Jong Un is likely to boast about his achievements in building a weapons programme.

The likelihood of North Korea conducting a fifth nuclear test, possibly within weeks, has increased because of a failed missile launch on Friday that was an embarrassing setback for Kim, South Korean officials and international experts said.