SEOUL (AFP) - Foreign diplomats in North Korea appeared to be staying put Saturday, ignoring a warning by Pyongyang that they should consider evacuating their missions amid soaring nuclear tensions.Pyongyang had informed embassies it could not guarantee their safety if a conflict broke out as concerns grew that the isolated state was preparing a missile launch. But most of their governments made it clear they had no immediate plans to withdraw personnel, and some suggested the advisory was a ruse to fuel growing global anxiety over the current crisis on the Korean peninsula.“The security of the German embassy and its exposure to danger are continually being evaluated,” the German foreign ministry said in a statement. “For now, the embassy can continue working.”A British Foreign Office spokeswoman, commenting on the North’s advisory, said: “We believe they have taken this step as part of their country’s rhetoric that the US poses a threat to them.”The heads of EU missions in Pyongyang met Saturday in a gathering which Britain had said was routine. No major decision had been expected and EU officials did not make a statement following the meeting. A further meeting of EU ambassadors is due to take place on Monday in Brussels.In South Korea, a government official was quoted by the Yonhap news agency as saying that diplomats would ignore the North’s appeal to leave. “Most foreign governments view the North Korean message as a way of ratcheting up tension on the Korean peninsula,” the official said.Western tourists returning from organised tours in Pyongyang - which have continued despite the tensions - said the situation on the ground appeared calm, with life going on as normal. “We’re glad to be back but we didn’t feel frightened when we were there,” said Tina Krabbe, from Denmark, arriving in Beijing after five days in North Korea.The embassy warning on Friday coincided with reports that North Korea had loaded two intermediate-range missiles on mobile launchers and hidden them in underground facilities near its east coast. “The North is apparently intent on firing the missiles without prior warning,” Yonhap quoted a senior South Korean government official as saying.They were reported to be untested Musudan missiles which are believed to have a range of around 3,000 kilometres (1,860 miles) that could theoretically be pushed to 4,000 kilometres with a light payload. That would cover any target in South Korea and Japan, and possibly even reach US military bases located on the Pacific island of Guam.White House spokesman Jay Carney said Friday that Washington “would not be surprised” by a missile test, which would fit the North’s “current pattern of bellicose, unhelpful and unconstructive rhetoric and actions”.The New York Times reported late Friday that the United States is pressuring China’s new President Xi Jinping to crack down on the regime in North Korea or face an increased US military presence in the region. Citing unnamed administration officials, the newspaper said the recent US exchanges with China included a phone call from President Barack Obama to Xi.While, the US military is set to deploy an unmanned spy plane in Japan to boost surveillance capabilities, a newspaper report said on Saturday. The Global Hawk will be stationed at the US airbase in Misawa, northern Japan, in the first ever deployment of the aircraft in the country, the Sankei Shimbun reported, quoting government sources.The US military informed Japan last month about plans to deploy the plane between June and September but may bring the date forward, it said, following reports about North Korea’s preparations for missile launches. North Korea, incensed by UN sanctions and South Korea-US military drills, has issued a series of apocalyptic threats of nuclear war in recent weeks. The North has no proven inter-continental ballistic missile capability that would enable it to strike more distant US targets, and many experts say it is unlikely it can even mount a nuclear warhead on a mid-range missile. Nevertheless, the international community is becoming increasingly skittish that, with tensions showing no sign of de-escalating, there is a real risk of the situation spiralling out of control.According to the British Foreign Office spokeswoman, embassies and organisations were told to inform the Pyongyang authorities by Wednesday what assistance they would require should they wish to evacuate.