South Korean and US troops have gone on higher alert after North Korea announced it is scrapping the armistice in force on the peninsula. Seoul’s defence ministry said the “Combined Forces Command upgraded Watch Conditions by a notch to Stage Two”.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says North Korea will face consequences for its “provocative and belligerent” actions towards its neighbours. The UN Security Council is discussing a response to North Korea’s nuclear test.

“Surveillance over the North will be stepped up, with more aircraft and personnel mobilised,” Seoul’s defence ministry spokesman Won Tae-Jae told AFP news agency.

The North Korea conundrum is threating the very fabric of peace in the world.