Workers visiting the plaza park of Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the birth of North Korea’s founder Kim Il-sung, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

North Korea celebrated the anniversary of its founder’s birth yesterday and abandoned its shrill threats of war against the United States and the South, easing tensions in a region that had seemed on the verge of conflict.

The North has threatened nuclear attacks on the US, South Korea and Japan after new UN sanctions were imposed in response to its latest nuclear arms test in February.

Many Pyongyang watchers had expected a big military parade to showcase North Korea’s armed forces on the “Day of the Sun”, the date the North’s founder Kim Il-Sung was born. But yesterday, the 101st anniversary of Kim’s birth was marked in the North’s capital, Pyongyang, with a festival of flowers named after Kim.

In contrast to weeks of tirades against its enemies, North Korean state media made hardly a mention of conflict.

“South Korea and the United States have sent a message for dialogue, so for now the North is switching to that mode,” said Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

The North’s intention was to try to get some kind of response from the US and South Korea

“The North’s strategic intention has been to try to get some kind of response from the United States and South Korea and now they have that. They won’t be brushing away the suggestions to enter dialogue lightly.”

The US has offered talks, but on the pre-condition that North Korea abandons its nuclear weapons ambitions.

North Korea deems its nuclear arms a “treasured sword” and has vowed never to give them up.

Nevertheless, US Secretary of State John Kerry, ending a trip to the region dominated by concern about North Korea, stressed his interest in a diplomatic solution.

On Sunday evening, Kerry had appeared to open the door to talking without requiring the North to take denuclearisation steps in advance. Beijing, he said, could be an intermediary.

Earlier, Kerry said he believed China, the North’s sole economic and political benefactor, should put “some teeth” in efforts to persuade Pyongyang to alter its policies.

The Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, warned yesterday that tensions could get out of control.

South Korean and US officials said last week North Korea appeared set to test-launch a medium-range missile as a show of strength linked to yesterday’s anniversary of the birth of its state founder .

The aim of the North’s aggressive acts, analysts say, is to bolster the leadership of Kim Jong-un, the 30-year-old grandson of Kim Il-Sung, or to force the US to hold talks with the North.

Yoji Koda, a former commander in chief of the Japanese naval fleet, told Reuters he believed North Korea’s threats were part of a “calculated provocation”, not a prelude to an attack.