Foreign diplomatic missions in Pyongyang proceeded with their routines as normal over the weekend, despite North Korea’s warning to them to leave the country amid escalating tensions on the peninsula, diplomatic sources said Sunday.

While closely watching the situation, they did not make any decision yet to pull out of the country, which has escalated tension through bellicose rhetoric against Washington and Seoul in recent weeks.

In Pyongyang, there are 24 embassies including those from China, Germany, Britain, Egypt, Syria and Laos, two consulates and several international organizations such as Save the Children.

The communist state recommended they leave the capital, stressing their safety could not be guaranteed after Wednesday this week. But it did not fix the date for their withdrawal.

Britain, Germany and Sweden said they had no immediate plans at the moment to pull out their diplomatic personnel in Pyongyang. But Indonesia said it was reviewing a pullout option although it had no plan to do so yet.

Pyongyang’s call for the withdrawal of the foreign missions appears to be a “premeditated, calculated act,” said Kim Jang-soo, who heads the presidential office of national security, during security meetings at Cheong Wa Dae.

Kim was quoted by presidential spokesperson Kim Haing as saying the North could set off provocations such as a missile launch before or after Wednesday as it said the safety of the foreign diplomats could not be guaranteed after the day.

“We are leaving open all possibilities and thoroughly preparing for them,” Kim added, stressing that for now, there were not any signs that the North could stage an all-out war. “But if the North launches a low-intensity provocation, it should risk our counterstrike several times stronger than that.”

Pyongyang has already moved two intermediate-range missiles on mobile launchers to its east coast. Analysts said the North could fire it around the “Day of Sun,” the birthday of its late national founder Kim Il-sung.

Observers have said Pyongyang’s call for the withdrawal of foreign missions appeared intended to further escalate tension on the peninsula, secure more global attention to it and shift the blame for the worsening security conditions onto Washington and Seoul.

Internally, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un might want to take advantage of the rising tension to strengthen national unity, particularly among his troops, and strengthen the legitimacy of the fledgling leadership, analysts said.

Displaying contradicting signs, unlike the North’s belligerent words that threaten to strike South Korea and the U.S., there appeared to be little sense of a security crisis with foreign tourists still visiting attractions in the reclusive state.

According to the Radio Free Asia, a Chinese agency running North Korean tour programs was not notified of any change in their programs. It said its tour programs proceeded as normal and will continue in the coming week.

The Seoul government has informed foreign missions here the situation was being stably managed.

Meanwhile, the fate of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex was still hanging in the balance as a series of South Korean businesses were forced to stop their operations because of their lack of production materials and food and other necessities to support workers there.

Since last Wednesday, Pyongyang has blocked new South Korean vehicles and workers from entering the inter-Korean complex, the last remaining symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.

Of 123 South Korean firms there, at least 13 businesses halted operations as of Sunday. South Korean employers called for a quick resolution of the political standoff, saying that the complex should be insulated from any inter-Korean conflict.

Seoul officials believe that this week, the firms in the complex could face tougher challenges with their production materials running short.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)