Timeline of North Korea's Provocations So Far in 2017: Graphic

(Bloomberg) -- North Korea has tested missiles on 15 separate days so far this year, and detonated what it called a hydrogen bomb, as Kim Jong Un accelerates his push for the ability to strike the U.S. with a nuclear weapon. His regular defiance of United Nations resolutions has increased fears of a military conflict and prompted the U.S. to boost pressure on China, North Korea’s main trading partner and ally. China, in turn, has called on both sides to lower tensions and find a diplomatic solution.

To contact the reporters on this story: Hooyeon Kim in Seoul at hkim592@bloomberg.net, Adrian Leung in Hong Kong at aleung206@bloomberg.net, Kanga Kong in Seoul at kkong50@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tomoko Yamazaki at tyamazaki@bloomberg.net, Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net.