N. Korea ‘playing with fire’; South raises alert level

SEOUL: German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle yesterday called on North Korea to stop its “war of rhetoric” and said the isolated state was “playing with fire.”
Meanwhile, South Korean and US forces raised their alert status to “vital threat” before an expected N. Korean missile test, with tensions wound tight during a five-day buildup to a key anniversary.
The North last week told foreign diplomats in Pyongyang they had until April 10 to consider evacuation, fueling speculation of a launch during the birthday celebrations for late founder Kim Il-Sung.
Any launch could coincide with visits by US Secretary of State John Kerry and NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who will both be in Seoul tomorrow.
S. Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se told Parliament the launch could take place “anytime” and warned Pyongyang it risked triggering a fresh round of UN sanctions.
S. Korean intelligence says the North has prepared two mid-range missiles for imminent launch from its east coast, despite warnings from ally China to avoid provocative moves at a time of soaring military tensions.
On Tuesday the North reiterated a warning that the peninsula was headed for “thermo-nuclear” war and advised foreigners to consider leaving S. Korea.
The S. Korea-US Combined Forces Command raised its “Watchcon” status from 3 to 2 to reflect indications of a “vital threat,” Yonhap news agency said, citing a senior military official.
Watchcon 4 is in effect during normal peacetime, while Watchcon 3 reflects indications of an important threat. Watchcon 1 is used in wartime.
In a separate report, Yonhap quoted a government source as saying Pyongyang might be preparing “multiple” launches, after other launch vehicles were reportedly detected carrying shorter-range SCUD and Rodong missiles.
Although the North’s warnings to embassies in Pyongyang and foreigners in the South were both largely shrugged off, there is growing global concern that sky-high tensions might trigger an incident that could swiftly escalate.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said during a visit to Rome that he had spoken to the Chinese leadership to try to calm tensions, and would discuss the issue with US President Barack Obama.
“The current level of tension is very dangerous, a small incident caused by miscalculation or misjudgment may create an uncontrollable situation,” Ban said.
A top US military commander, Adm. Samuel Locklear, said he favored shooting down a N. Korean missile only if it threatened the United States or Washington’s allies in the region.