A day after North Korea said it would no longer be bound by the Armistice Agreement, it threatened to “turn not only Seoul but also Washington into a sea of fire.” And it followed that up today by saying with the armistice nullified, “it would not be strange if a thermonuclear war erupted.”

While North Korea often says it does not engage in empty talk, almost all of their threats are not carried out. But North Korea has followed through on enough that policymakers in the region will remain on their toes for the next few days and weeks.