North Korea draws criticism and threats over it's continued development of nuclear arms - this time a hydrogen bomb test that measured on the Richter scale.
The US Ambassador to the United Nations has declared North Korea is "begging for war".
During an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, Nikki Haley said the US does not want war, but "the time has come to exhaust diplomatic means before it's too late", after the rogue nation detonated a thermonuclear device on Sunday in its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.
"Enough is enough. War is never something the United States wants. We don't want it now. But our country's patience is not unlimited," Haley told the council.
The emergency meeting comes less than a week after the council strongly condemned North Korea's "outrageous" launch of a ballistic missile over Japan.
Other council members, including Japan and France, have called for further sanctions. The council already imposed its stiffest sanctions so far on North Korea last month.
.@nikkihaley: "War is never something the United States wants. We don't want it now. But our country's patience is not unlimited." pic.twitter.com/mPlZs7mKfv
North Korea has accused the South Koreans of being "scabby sheep" and "puppets" for US President Donald Trump as despot Kim Jong-Un threatened to obliterate Seoul and the US, the Sun reports.
North Korea's dictator lashed out after South Korea carried out a live-fire missile exercise in response to North Korea's latest underground test.
North Korea's ruling party branded the South "fools" and said they are now facing a "horrible disaster" amid the escalating nuke crisis.
Pyongyang released pictures of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un with what state media said was a new type of hydrogen bomb. Photo / AP
"Though the puppet forces kick off war hysteria, backed by the US, they are more than scabby sheep," it said.
"If we fire, they will die. This is the inescapable fate of the puppet warmongers. The puppet military gangsters should always be mindful that if they pretend to be brave, they would not save their skins as they have neither measure nor capability to cope with the ensuing consequences."
North Korean officials warned against further "reckless action" and threatened to "reduce South Korea to ashes" after the spectacular missile attack simulation.
"It is as foolish an act as exposing the neck under straw cutter to dare counter the world-level military power equipped with powerful nuclear striking means," the North said.
"If the South Korean puppet forces continue to go reckless, misjudging the surging resentment and will of our army and people, they would face a horrible disaster."
The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.
China regarded as "unacceptable a situation in which on the one hand, we work to resolve this issue peacefully, but on the other hand, our own interests are subject to sanctions and jeopardised," said Geng Shuang, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, at a briefing in Beijing on Monday. "This is neither objective nor fair."
Trump said the approach was under consideration, "in addition to other options". But such a halt would be radical - the US imports about US$40 billion ($55.7b) in goods a month from China.
North preparing missile launch
South Korea has detected signs that the North is preparing another missile launch, which could involve an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The ministry said signs that North Korea was "preparing for another ballistic missile launch have consistently been detected since Sunday's test", referring to Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test.
It did not give details, or indicate when a launch might take place.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from right, inspects the preparation of the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile in North Korea. Photo / AP
The National Intelligence Service also told politicians that more analysis is needed to verify whether the North detonated an electromagnetic pulse-based bomb or a hydrogen bomb during its nuclear test on Sunday, according to South Korea's Yonhap news.
"There is a possibility that the North could make additional provocations by firing an ICBM toward the North Pacific," a ruling party politician said.
Sunday's blast had a strength of 50 kilotons, defence ministry officials told a parliamentary briefing.
