The federal government is considering how to evacuate the 200,000 Australians in north Asia should tensions with North Korea escalate into war.
Australians on holidays or working in Asia have been told to monitor the crisis closely.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull urged all Australians overseas, but especially those in or heading to China, Japan or South Korea, to register with the government’s Smart Traveller website.
The government has updated its travel advice for South Korea and Japan in response to North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile tests.
‘Greatest threat since Korea War’: Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull is considering how to evacuate the 200,000 Australians in north Asia as North Korea war threats escalate
The government has updated its travel advice for South Korea and Japan in response to North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile tests (North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un centre, observing hydrogen bomb)
If North Korea were able to design a missile capable of carrying a nuclear bomb similar in power to the one detonated on Sunday, it would kill an estimated 126,000 people if dropped over Sydney
The advice says further provocations by Pyongyang or reactions by other countries cannot be ruled out, and tensions could escalate with little warning.
‘That way we can do our job of helping you if there are problems overseas,’ he told the Nine Network on Thursday.
Registered travellers would be able to receive phone alerts if the government needed to contact them urgently.
Mr Turnbull repeated his belief the risk of war was the greatest since the end of the Korean War and said the government was developing emergency plans for Australians in the area.
‘We always consider these evacuation contingencies,’ he said.
‘The threatening conduct of Kim Jong-un (centre) is becoming more intense all the time,’ Mr Turnbull said on Thursday.
Mr Turnbull had a 30-minute phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, with North Korea (military parade pictured) dominating the conversation
The prime minister had a 30-minute phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, with North Korea dominating the conversation.
Mr Turnbull described the discussion as ‘warm and constructive’, saying the pair agreed it was time for the international community to exert maximum diplomatic and economic pressure on the rogue nation.
‘The threatening conduct of Kim Jong-un is becoming more intense all the time,’ Mr Turnbull said on Thursday.
If the dictator carried out his threats, there would be an ‘overwhelming and massive military response’.
‘It would be a suicide note on the part of Kim Jong-un but it would be a complete catastrophe,’ Mr Turnbull said.
‘Having said that, I remain confident the global community will put more economic pressure on North Korea and that will bring … the regime to its senses.’
Defence Minister Marise Payne is in Seoul for high-level security talks on Thursday including a meeting with US commander General Vincent Brooks.
Mr Turnbull said if Kim Jong-un carried out his threats it would be his own ‘suicide note’ and would be met with an ‘overwhelming and massive military response’