South Korea expects more provocative acts by North Korea in mid-October

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea expects more provocative acts by North Korea next month to coincide with the anniversary of the founding of the North Korean communist party and China’s all-important Communist Party Congress.

In a meeting with President Moon Jae-in on Thursday, national security adviser Chung Eui-yong said he expected Pyongyang to act around Oct. 10 and 18, but gave no details.

The South Korean security adviser’s report also noted the risk of that a military conflict could by sparked by “accidental incidents,” Park Wan-ju, lawmaker and head spokesman of the ruling Democratic Party, said.

“The president said the United States speaks of military and diplomatic options, but South Korea can’t go through war again,” said Park.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated in recent weeks as North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump exchanged bellicose threats and insults over the North’s nuclear and missile development program.

The North has accused Trump of declaring war after he warned Kim’s regime would not last if he persisted in threatening the United States and its allies, having earlier warned North Korea would be totally destroyed in such an event.