Most South Koreans doubt that North Korea will start a war, a survey has shown, just over a week after the North's largest nuclear test and as the United Nations Security Council was set vote Monday on a new set of sanctions.

Tension on the Korean Peninsula has escalated as North Korea's young leader, Kim Jong Un, has stepped up the development of weapons in defiance of U.N. sanctions. A string of missiles have been tested this year, including one that flew over Japan, and the nation's sixth nuclear test was conducted on Sept. 3.

Experts believe the isolated regime is close to its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States, something U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to prevent.