North Korea: the South expects more provocative action by mid-October

South Korea expects North Korea to engage in more provocative action next month, to coincide with the anniversary of the founding of its communist party and China's Communist Party Congress.

In a meeting with President Moon Jae-in on Thursday, Chung Eui-yong, national security adviser, said he expected Pyongyang to act around the date of 10 and 18 October, but failed to give any additional details.

"[Chung's report] also said there are worries over military conflict being sparked by accidental incidents," said Park Wan-ju, head spokesman of the ruling Democratic Party.

"The president said the United States speaks of military and diplomatic options, but South Korea can't go through war again."

Tensions continue to increase as North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump exchange insults and threats over the North’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. Pyongyang has accused Trump of declaring war, after he warned that Kim’s regime will no longer exist if he continued to threaten the US and its allies.

The North’s sixth and largest nuclear test was conducted on 3 September and has launched various missiles in 2017, as it accelerates its programme, aimed at enabling it to target the US with a nuclear-tipped missile.

Technically speaking, the US and South Korea are still at war with Pyongyang as the 1950-1953 conflict came to an end with a truce and not a peace treaty.

In a speech on Thursday, Moon said cooperation with the international community to curb the North's nuclear ambitions was at its highest level ever and called for the strengthening of South Korea-U.S. defences to rein in the North.

Since the North's latest nuclear test, countries have taken measures against the reclusive state like expelling North Korean diplomats.

Malaysia said on Thursday all its citizens are banned from travelling to North Korea until further notice due to escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.