An unveiling ceremony of Statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il took place

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As tensions continue to escalate on the Korean peninsula South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said today that the North's regime could be in danger of collapse "without change," prodding Kim Jong-un to end his brazen threats of provocations and reform.



Yun's stern comments came as the world is keeping a close eye on what North Korea's next move will be after weeks of warlike rhetoric. North Korea often links high-profile military tests with key dates in its annual calendar, with the centenary of Kim's birth last year being preceded by a long-range rocket test. The launch ended in failure after the rocket broke up shortly after take-off.



South Korean intelligence says the North has had two medium-range missiles primed and ready to fire for nearly a week, with many experts speculating that today's anniversary could be a likely launch date.



There was no sense of panic in the North Korean capital today however, where very few locals have access to international broadcasts or foreign newspaper headlines speculating about the imminent missile launch.



Oblivious to international tensions, Pyongyang residents instead spilled into the streets to celebrate the major national holiday.





North Korean soldiers visit the bronze statues of North Korea founder Kim Il-sung

Incensed by fresh UN sanctions following its third nuclear test and joint South Korea-US military exercises, Pyongyang has spent weeks issuing blistering threats of missile strikes and nuclear war.



The North last week warned Japan that Tokyo would be the first target in the event of a war on the Korean Peninsula and yesterday rejected South Korea's proposal to resolve tensions through dialogue.



In a commentary carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the communist country lashed out at Tokyo's standing orders to destroy any missile heading toward Japan, threatening such actions will result in a nuclear attack against the island nation.



If Japan executes its threat to shoot down any North Korean missile, such a “provocative” intervention would see Tokyo — an enormous conurbation of 30 million people — “consumed in nuclear flames”, KCNA warned.

Secretary of State John Kerry stressed the US is willing to engage with North Korea

The United States remains open to authentic and credible negotiations on denuclearisation U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry

US Secretary of State John Kerry, currently in Japan on the last leg of a whirlwind North-East Asia tour, warned North Korea that a launch in the current climate would be a "huge mistake".



He today defended the re-orientation of U.S. foreign policy toward Asia as he ended a trip to the region dominated by concerns about North Korea's nuclear programmes.



The "rebalancing" of the United States toward Asia has caused unease in Beijing, which has tended to focus on the military dimensions of the strategy and to view it as a way to contain China's rise.



On the final leg of a 10-day trip that included stops in Seoul and Beijing, Kerry sought to assuage Chinese concerns even as he offered reassurance to U.S. allies such as Japan and North Korea that the United States wasn't going anywhere.



"Some people might be sceptical of America's commitment to this region," Kerry said.



"My commitment to you is that as a Pacific nation that takes our Pacific partnership seriously, we will continue to build on our active and enduring presence.



"The United States remains open to authentic and credible negotiations on denuclearisation, but the burden is on Pyongyang," he added.

Soldiers honour the birthday of North Korea founder Kim Il-sung

The United States has beefed up its military presence in the region in recent weeks, deploying two missile defense systems following repeated North Korean threats to attack the United States and its allies.



However, the North has declared it is "confident of final victory" against its enemies.



The Korean Peninsula has "been reduced to the biggest nuclear hotspot in the world", the North said in more fiery rhetoric last week, "making the outbreak of a nuclear war on this land unavoidable."