Amid barbs, tensions on Korean Peninsula grow

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula rose after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea tested nuclear devices and launched missiles including intercontinental ballistic ones, in February, April, May, July, September and November, and the United States and the Republic of Korea carried out joint military exercises.

Top DPRK leader Kim Jongun and US President Donald Trump traded rhetorical barbs, and world leaders warned that any miscalculation or misunderstanding could be disastrous. The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the standoff as "the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today".