U.N. Security Council members will hold an emergency meeting this morning about North Korea’s detonation of a small nuclear device at a test site.  North Korea says it has tested a “miniaturized” nuclear device in defiance of U-N orders to stop building atomic weapons. Official state media reported today that it was conducted in “a safe manner.”

A-B-C correspondent  Gloria Riviera says the timing is likely not accidental.  “North Korea has always been very aware of key dates in the past.  They’ve conducted nuclear tests, rocket launches, on or around the dates of specific birthdays of their leaders.  It may be no coincidence that the North Koreans have decided to take what appears to be aggressive action in advance of President Obama’s state of the union address.”

Obama is scheduled to give his nationally televised address tonight. The White House is calling North Korea’s latest nuclear test a “highly provocative act” that threatens U-S security and international peace.

North Korea claims the test was aimed at coping with “outrageous” U-S hostility that “violently” undermines its peaceful, sovereign right to launch satellites.