North Korea

The ball largely lies in N.Korea court. The seemingly rouge nation is actually very mindful of its own interest(s).
They could behave the way they did because it is business as usual between them and china all the while until recently. China is the most important trade partner as North Korea depends almost entirely on trade with China. When circumstances change they will change too. Chances of them taking the unthinkable route of confrontation is extremely low even though they would like the rest of the world to think otherwise. They may up their ante and keep testing limits. The next nuclear test(if any) would have real consequence and they would think twice before doing it again. Kim Jong Un is paraniod and well aware of whats going on around him. The fact that he killed his half brother/Uncle to eliminate the smallest potential threat says a lot about this man. China losing patience with him is not in his self interest. Remember this country does not have oil, the single most important commodity of all. (But they do have coal).

Maybe it takes a rouge president to deal with a rouge nation. I actually agree with Trump on pressuring China to keep a lid on N.Korea and showing that use of force is not out of the equation.

Singapore has friendly relations with all its neighbors but should a nation go rouge on us one day in the distant future, there needs to be a greater power that we can tap on/depend on. If the greater power is all talk and no action, there is little hope for us as a small nation.

Just an extract of what the China sees North Korea issues.
It's only right to look at the issues from both sides of the coins.

Love Compassion

That's the danger when we believe WW3 will comes from the east. If we believe long enough, it may happen. If there are't historical record of revival of Isreal, there won't be an Isreal today. That's the power and believes of human kind.

The Economist on North Korea:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist...explains-2

".....China does not want the reunification of the Korean peninsula if it creates a single,
larger American ally on its border. And millions of North Koreans might flee from the
collapse of their country into China, exporting instability into China’s three north-eastern provinces,
which are among the most economically depressed in the country."

I actually think a good compromise to resolve North Korea issue is reunification but with US bases out of SK. Korea will then become what we call a buffer state between Japan and China.

Then the issue" is a unified Korea stable enough to be governed? Given the political instability of South Korea, adding in a North Korean population who may support their own political system adds strain. Furthermore, South Korea is now struggling economically, throw in the needs to equip/educate a North Korean population and provide them jobs to ensure social stability is going to be tough.

The US has not learned enough from the last "Vietnam and Korean Wars"?

What do they really gain from all the wars they had waged so far. - Including all the wars in the Middle East?

There must be some advantages or gains if not why war?

At least the Russians go to war to expand some of their territory in Europe.

^ I am afraid that US come to the conclusion that it's better to shed middle eastern / Korean blood than to be threatened by oil or nuke

(16-04-2017, 08:17 PM)CY09 Wrote: Then the issue" is a unified Korea stable enough to be governed? Given the political instability of South Korea, adding in a North Korean population who may support their own political system adds strain. Furthermore, South Korea is now struggling economically, throw in the needs to equip/educate a North Korean population and provide them jobs to ensure social stability is going to be tough.

The solidarity of the Koreans rivals that of the Germans, if not exceeding it.

I doubt US will want a war. No one wants it including fat kim.
The north koreans have fallen so much behind the south that I do not even think the south koreans will want a unification. I can imagine the horde of north koreans swarming down to Seoul and will definitely short circuit the south korea economy.

The crux here is China. If China is more co-operative, the world can bring the north to its knees.
As long as the north perceives that the south is not attempting an invasion with information from her web of spies in south korea, i doubt they are interested to start a war.

One possible way is to draw up an economy zone near the border of china and north korea with US and china pooling in resources to rebuild NK and force NK to open its door to the world.

(17-04-2017, 09:40 AM)yeokiwi Wrote: I doubt US will want a war. No one wants it including fat kim.
The north koreans have fallen so much behind the south that I do not even think the south koreans will want a unification. I can imagine the horde of north koreans swarming down to Seoul and will definitely short circuit the south korea economy.

The crux here is China. If China is more co-operative, the world can bring the north to its knees.
As long as the north perceives that the south is not attempting an invasion with information from her web of spies in south korea, i doubt they are interested to start a war.

One possible way is to draw up an economy zone near the border of china and north korea with US and china pooling in resources to rebuild NK and force NK to open its door to the world.

Thot they have already. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rason_Spec...nomic_Zone   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaesong_Industrial_Region

I agree with what specuvestor said. Solidarity is strong in Korea. Can use the German model for unification. Maybe go buy some North Korea won/ worthless Intl Bonds...hahaha 
(Germany did DM 1 for 1 for East German marks during unification and paid cost of inflation)