The potentially incendiary events on the Korean Peninsula in recent days have been heightening concerns in the region.

At the same time, angry rhetoric has risen to new highs. Both North and South Korea have put their respective militaries on elevated states of alert.

"There are no changes in daily life that you can see here in Seoul, but we do have to be aware of the situation that is emerging on the peninsula," said Kim Sang-woo, a former politician with the left-leaning South Korean Congress for New Politics and now a member of the board of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation.

"I do not actually believe that the North wants or is ready for a war," he told DW, adding that Pyongyang is practicing a tactic of brinkmanship.

"But I do fear that an accidental clash could lead to other unforeseeable consequences and could easily escalate into a major conflict."

While Kim believes both sides need to try and defuse the tensions, that does not appear to be happening.

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North Korea on October 11 accused the South's military of sending drones over Pyongyang on three occasions and scattering propaganda leaflets.

Defense officials in Seoul have insisted that the South did not send the drones but declined to say where they may have originated. This had led to speculation they may........

© Deutsche Welle