With rising speculation that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea may soon conduct another nuclear test, tension is once again building on the peninsula. This is worrying, as it is detrimental to peace and stability in the region and beyond. The issue of foremost importance now is the parties concerned exercise the utmost restraint and prevent the situation from spinning out of control.

The Republic of Korea said this week that its neighbor to the north could detonate multiple devices when it conducts a third nuclear test in the coming weeks or even days. Meanwhile, it joined the United States in a joint naval exercise off the coast of the peninsula from Monday to Wednesday. The drill has been widely interpreted as an attempt to deter the DPRK.

The new US Secretary of State John Kerry and his ROK counterpart have said they will make sure Pyongyang is punished if it carries out its threat to conduct a nuclear test. Media reports also say the US and the ROK are mulling pre-emptive measures against the DPRK.