The Latest: Guam starts new school year despite NK threat

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The Latest on the North Korea crisis (all times local):

Noon

Students in Guam are returning to school after summer break in spite of the recent North Korean missile threats.

All 41 public schools opened Thursday at the start of a new school year for 30,000 students.

Guam Education Superintendent Jon Fernandez says the main concern has been helping parents and teachers have conversations with students to ease possible anxiety.

He said: "We are prepared for many situations."

North Korea this week has detailed its plan to test-launch ballistic missiles into waters near the U.S. Pacific territory. State media reported that leader Kim Jong Un was watching U.S. moves before deciding to order the test.

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1150 a.m.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared there would be no second war on the Korean Peninsula amid fears that heightened animosity could lead to real fighting.

Moon also said he would consider sending an envoy to North Korea in comments Thursday that appeared to be another effort to jumpstart a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Moon said people worked hard to rebuild South Korea and could not lose everything again because of war. He said: "I can confidently say there will not be a war again on the Korean Peninsula."

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11:30 a.m.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in says he'll consider sending a special envoy to North Korea for talks if North stops provocations.

His comments Thursday at a nationally televised news conference appeared to be another effort to jumpstart a diplomatic solution to a confrontation sparked North Korea's warning that it might send missiles into waters near the U.S. territory of Guam, and President Donald Trump's belligerent Twitter threats to unleash "fire and fury" on the North.

Moon says he believes dialogue with North Korea can happen when North Korea stops missile and nuclear tests.

Moon was elected in May. He's a liberal who wants to engage the North. But his efforts have been met with a string of threats and missile tests as the North works to build nuclear-armed missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland.

11:45 p.m.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says tensions on the Korean peninsula are at their highest level in decades and it's important "to dial down the rhetoric and to dial up diplomacy."

The U.N. chief told reporters Wednesday that the world needs to heed the lessons of history and not repeat the mistakes that led to the Korean War, which started 67 years ago and killed more than 3 million people.

Guterres said that on Tuesday he told representatives of the countries in the stalled six-party talks - North Korea, South Korea, the U.S., Russia, China and Japan - that his "good offices are always available."

He said the international community must send a clear message to North Korea's leadership to comply with its international obligations, reopen communications and deescalate the situation,

8:10 p.m.

Russia says it's against further tightening sanctions on North Korea, warning that economic pressure on Pyongyang has reached its limit.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned Wednesday "we can't support ideas by some of our partners to suffocate North Korea economically with all the negative and tragic humanitarian consequences for its citizens."

Lavrov, speaking at a news conference in Moscow, added that the "potential for economic pressure has been practically exhausted" and emphasized the need to encourage political settlement.

He reaffirmed a call by China and Russia for the U.S. to suspend annual military exercises with South Korea in exchange for Pyongyang halting its missile and nuclear tests as a first step toward direct talks.

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8 p.m.

President Donald Trump says in a tweet that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "made a very wise and reasonable decision" amid indications his country has decided not to proceed with its multiple missile launch toward Guam.

Trump says: "The alternative would have been both catastrophic and unacceptable!"

During an inspection of the North Korean army's Strategic Forces, which handles the missile program, Kim praised the military for drawing up a "close and careful plan" and said Tuesday he would watch the "foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees" a little more before deciding whether to order the missile test, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.