Hot: Kim Jong-un orders urgent evacuation from Pyongyang

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered Pyongyang residents to leave the capital immediately, sparking fears that North Korea is preparing for war.

More than 600,000 people, about 25% of the city's population, were evacuated, according to Russian newspaper Pravda. Observers stressed that the evacuation order may have stemmed from rising tensions between the US and North Korea.

Photo: KCNA

Pyongyang residents are said to have said goodbye to each other, South Korean media reported, raising concerns that the North Korean leader could act months after testing nuclear weapons.

Foreign reporters were also told to prepare for "a big and important event" on the country's biggest holiday - the Day of the Sun.

“We were told to be ready to leave at 6.20am on 12 April but it is unclear why,” said Channel NewsAsia correspondent in Beijing Jeremy Koh.

More than 200 foreign journalists are in Pyongyang as North Korea celebrates the 105th anniversary of the birth of the country's founder Kim Il Sung, on April 15.

Previously, North Korean officials warned that nuclear war could break out at any time due to the extremely tense situation on the Korean peninsula.

The US has sent a strike group to the Western Pacific in a show of force, while North Korea has warned it will respond to any sign of aggression with a nuclear strike.

So far, North Korean officials have not revealed any information about the “surprise event” or where it took place. However, similar announcements have in the past been a routine event.

According to Tien Phong