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A small earthquake has been detected in North Korea where previous nuclear tests have been carried out.

The United States Geological Survey said a 2.9 magnitude quake with a depth of 5km was recorded 23km north-east of Sungjibaegam.

The area is has been used previously by the country to carry out nuclear drills which have resulted in subsequent tremors.

A statement on the US Geological Survey website reads: "This event occurred in the area of the previous North Korean Nuclear tests.

"The event has earthquake like characteristics, however, we cannot conclusively confirm at this time the nature (natural or human-made) of the event."

All of North Korea’s previous six nuclear tests registered as earthquakes of magnitude 4.3 or above.

The last test the country carried out on September 3 registered as a 6.3 magnitude quake.

The US Geological Survey said that quake struck 55 km north northwest of Kimchaek. There was no reports of damage or casualties.

(Image: AFP) (Image: Barcroft Media) (Image: AFP) (Image: AFP)

Last month's earthquake took place in Kilju County, where its nuclear test site Punggye-Ri is located and came after Kim Jong-un reportedly watched a nuclear bomb being loaded on a long-range missile launcher.

The North Korean leader boasted the country had developed a hydrogen bomb which has "great destructive power".

The test sparked a furious reaction from US President Donald Trump amid escalating tensions between the two nations.

(Image: Sky News)

After the September quake, President Trump tweeted: "North Korea has conducted a major Nuclear Test. Their words and actions continue to be very hostile and dangerous to the United States.

"North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success.

"South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing!"

Under Kim Jong-un, North Korea has pursued work on building nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles that can deliver them at an unprecedented pace, defying U.N. sanctions and international pressure.

Today, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said the Trump administration thinks the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear weapons capability is "manageable".

But he stressed Pyongyang cannot be allowed to develop the ability to strike the US homeland.

Mr Kelly said: "A state that has developed a pretty good ICBM (missile) capability and is developing a pretty good nuclear re-entry vehicle, I would believe ... that that state simply cannot have the ability to reach the homeland.

"Right now we think the threat is manageable but over time if it grows beyond where it is today, well, let's hope that diplomacy works."

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

(Image: Copyright (c) 2017 Shutterstock. No use without permission.) (Image: REUTERS)

Last month, North Korea was hit by a 3.4 magnitude tremor which China said it suspected was an "explosion".

China said they suspected the quake was an explosion, but South Korea's weather agency said it was likely to be a natural earthquake.

Nuclear test monitoring agency CTBTO says analysts were "looking at unusual seismic activity of a much smaller magnitude".

The watchdog said the quake happened around 50km from where prior nuclear tests have taken place, but later said it was unlikely to be a man-made tremor.

However the US Geological Survey said it could not conclusively confirm whether the earthquake detected in North Korea was manmade or natural.