SEOUL – Governments in Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington have noticeably scaled down strong rhetoric this Monday as weeks of exponentially escalating tensions appear to be coming to an end.

Concerned that another display of military prowess could further antagonize Pyongyang, the U.S. government cancelled an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) test scheduled for this week, unnamed officials told Reuters. “This is the logical, prudent and responsible course of action to take,” the anonymous source was quoted as saying.

Pyongyang is likely to find an American missile test just as “provocative” as the international community deems North Korean missile tests to be. The U.S. government also indicated a