North Korea has warned foreign companies and tourists in South Korea to evacuate, saying the two countries are on the verge of a nuclear war.
The new threat appeared to be an attempt to scare foreigners into pressing their governments to pressure Washington and Seoul to avert a conflict.
Analysts see a direct attack on Seoul as extremely unlikely and there are no overt signs North Korea’s army is readying for war, let alone a nuclear one.
In Pyongyang, there were no signs of a military build-up. South Korea’s military has reported missile movements on North Korea’s east coast but nothing pointed toward South Korea.
“The situation on the Korean Peninsula is inching close to a thermonuclear war due to the evermore undisguised hostile actions of the United States and the South Korean puppet warmongers and their moves for a war against the North,” said a statement by the North Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee. The statement is similar to past threats that analysts call an attempt to raise anxiety in foreign capitals.