defiant, provocation

Over the past decade, despite crippling economic sanctions imposed by most of the outside world, North Korea has defiantly developed and tested nuclear weapons and the long-range missiles needed to deliver them.    <Time magazine, February 27, 2012> 

 Defiance
:   Open resistance; bold disobedience

• the demonstration was held in defiance of official warnings
   

Synonym of Defiance -> Provocation

provocations plural

1. Action or speech that makes someone annoyed or angry, esp. deliberately
   • you should remain calm and not respond to provocation
   • he burst into tears at the slightestprovocation
2. Action or speech held to be likely to prompt physical retaliation
   • the assault had taken place underprovocation
3. Testing to elicit a particular response or reflex
   • twenty patients had a high increase of serum gastrin after provocation with secretin