The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb capable of being carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), official media announced.

The DPRK Central Television said the test was carried out at the order of top leader Kim Jong Un, who chaired a meeting of the standing committee of the political bureau of the Workers' Party of Korea on the Korean Peninsula situation and decided to conduct the H-bomb test.

The TV report showed still photos of the document signed by Kim ordering the test, which was the sixth nuclear test conducted by the DPRK so far.

"The Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea was convened in the morning on Sept. 3, 2017," said the State-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

After analyzing the current international political situation and "the military tension created on the Korean peninsula," the meeting adopted a decision "on carrying out a test of the H-bomb for the ICBM as part of efforts to attain the final goal of completing the State nuclear force," according to the KCNA.

Meanwhile, the Nuclear Weapons Institute of the DPRK issued a statement saying the test was carried out at 12:00 local time (0330 GMT) in the "northern nuclear test ground."

"The H-bomb test was carried out to examine and confirm the accuracy and credibility of the power control technology and internal structural design newly introduced into manufacturing H-bomb to be placed at the payload of the ICBM," said the statement.

It also said no leak of radioactive materials took place and that the test had no negative impact on the environment.

The H-bomb test "reflects the qualitative level of two-stage thermo-nuclear weapon fully complied with design figures," it added.

The DPRK is banned by the United Nations from any tests of nuclear or ballistic missile technology. The U.N. Security Council has already adopted several resolutions aiming to deter the country's nuclear ambitions.

The blast on Sunday has raised immediate sharp reaction from the United States, Japan and South Korea.

South Korea, China and Japan said an earthquake of 6.3 magnitude was detected in northern DPRK Sunday. Later Japan confirmed it was a nuclear test.

Tremors were reportedly also felt in northeast China bordering the DPRK.

The DPRK test-fired two ICBMs in July which it said are capable of hitting all territories of the United States.

The tests resulted in the adoption last month of a U.N. Security Council resolution imposing stricter sanctions on Pyongyang.