(VOVworld) – The Blue House said that South Korea has closely observed North Korean military activity in the context of a high chance that the North will conduct its sixth nuclear detonation or test-fire a ballistic missile ahead of the anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party and the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) scheduled to be held in the US later this month.

 In a posting on its closely-watched 38 North website Friday, the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said satellite images dated October 1 showed continuing activity across the Punggye-ri test site in the northeast of the country.

Analysis of recent satellite images of North Korea's nuclear test site shows activity at all three of its tunnel complexes, fuelling speculation of another test ahead of a key political anniversary next week. North Korea has already conducted two nuclear tests this year in January and September and experts say it is capable of carrying out a third as soon as the order is given.