North Korea could ramp up its weapons testing in a game of militarized chicken as the United Nations weighs imposing tougher sanctions on the country, analysts said.

And Pyongyang's next display of defiance could come in the form of yet another missile launch as early this Saturday, to coincide with the country's founding day.

"The situation is very grave. It doesn't seem much time is left before North Korea achieves its complete nuclear armament," South Korea Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said in a meeting of the country's defense ministers on Thursday, CNN reported.

"Some believe North Korea may launch another intercontinental ballistic missile on the 9th, this time at an ordinary angle," Lee reportedly said.

There would likely be no better way to provoke the international community than to launch a missile at an ordinary angle, according to Bernard Loo, professor of strategic studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Up until now, Pyongyang has launched its missiles vertically.

"When you do ballistic missile tests, the idea is to test the technology. You don't actually want the missile to hit any place than you would otherwise want it to hit," Loo said.

"When you launch it an an ordinary angle, you're launching it the way you would if you were trying to hit something," he added.

And just like its previous trials, North Korea's next missile test could be designed to incite maximum controversy.