As the impending hypothetical showdown with North Korea looms, we are being bombarded with more of the same rhetoric and threats that the world has seen for most of the last 50 years. Whether it’s going to lead to something bigger or not is unknown, but for now nothing much seems new. Many in the West are itching for a fight with the rogue state and if the DPRK pushes too hard this time, they may just end up getting what they claim they desire.
The latest batch of “news” involves North Korean missiles being put on stand-by and an official announcement from the DPRK government that they are in a “state of war.” A possibly more important bit of news is a threat that they've made to shut down an industrial border complex that is joint operated by both them and South Korea. Of course, they desperately need that complex in order to maintain what’s left of the country’s economy, so it’s unlikely they will follow through. Still, many are seeing North Korea’s action or lack of it with the factory complex as being a key indicator of just how serious they actually are.
Ultimately, most of what the DPRK is doing is just a ruse to put the pressure on South Korea and the United States. If their pattern follows the way it always does, they’re looking to get back to the normal routine of being bribed with aid, lying about whether they’re doing nuclear testing and then going ahead with nuclear and missile testing in the meantime.
The real trouble comes from the threat the West and its allies pose. If North Korea pushes too hard, there may indeed be a fight. Most people are getting tired of dealing with this same rehashed routine every 5 to 10 years and are looking for some sort of final resolution. To make matters worse, the longer we wait, the more the chance that the DPRK will actually get the nuclear missile capability they claim to already have. Of course, if this report of North Korea photoshopping their military might in an effort to gain approval from their citizens is true, the DPRK army may be in more trouble than we even realize. I’m guessing a steady lobbing of rotten fruit might just take them down.
DPRK Installation Map - author unknown (via Wikicommons)
