North Korea's leader has delayed a decision on firing missiles towards Guam while he watches US actions a little longer, as South Korea's president says Seoul will seek to prevent war by all means.
In his first public appearance in about two weeks, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the command of the North's army on Monday, examining a plan to fire four missiles to land near the US Pacific territory of Guam, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said in a report.
"He said that if the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity, testing the self-restraint of the DPRK, the latter will make an important decision as it already declared," the report said.
In photos released with the KCNA report, Kim was seen holding a baton and pointing at a map showing a flight path for the missiles appearing to start from North Korea's east coast, flying over Japan towards Guam. North Korea has often threatened to attack the US and its bases and released similar photos in the past but never followed through.
Pyongyang's plans to fire missiles near Guam prompted a surge in tensions in the region last week, with US President Donald Trump saying the US military was "locked and loaded" if North Korea acted unwisely.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Tuesday there would be no military action without Seoul's consent and his government would prevent war by all means.
"Military action on the Korean peninsula can only be decided by South Korea and no one else can decide to take military action without the consent of South Korea," Moon said in a speech to commemorate the anniversary of the nation's liberation from Japanese military rule in 1945.
"The government, putting everything on the line, will block war by all means."
The Liberation day holiday, a rare one celebrated by both North and South, will be followed next week by joint US-South Korean military drills sure to anger Pyongyang.
China, North Korea's main ally and trading partner, has repeatedly urged Pyongyang to halt its weapons program and South Korea and the United States to stop military drills to lower tensions.
US officials have in recent days played down the risk of an imminent conflict while stressing their preparedness to respond militarily to any attack from North Korea.
Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said the US military would know the trajectory of a missile fired from North Korea within moments and would "take it out" if it looked like it would hit the US Pacific territory.
"The bottom line is, we will defend the country from an attack; for us (US military) that is war," he said.
