There are fears North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un could launch a nuclear weapon as the global threat escalates.
The pariah state has finished preparations for its first nuclear test launch since 2017, according to South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin, who also called for a political resolution to bring it to a halt.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has promised to "respond quickly" should the despot press the button and initiate his seventh test bomb.
