North Korea announced today, Friday, that it conducted a test on an underwater nuclear weapons system under development in response to the recent joint naval exercises between South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

The North Korean Central News Agency quoted the country's Ministry of Defense as saying it conducted an important test of the "Hail-5-23" missile in the East Sea, denouncing the exercises and describing them as reckless military confrontation madness.

A spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Defense said in a statement: "The underwater nuclear-armed deterrent status of our army is approaching further completion, and various naval and underwater response activities will continue to deter the hostile military maneuvers of the United States fleets and its allies," according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

South Korea, the United States, and Japan conducted joint naval exercises that included the participation of the nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier "USS Carl Vinson" from Monday to Wednesday, following North Korea's latest launch of a hypersonic missile.