North Korea Hasn’t Changed

So, we saw last week (several stories of which this is one) that North Korea continues to build up their nuclear capabilities in spite of statements to the contrary.  The cited reference from the Stimson Center in Washington is worth reading too (ref).  Remember that NK is a puppet, not an independent actor in all of this.  They don’t do anything without China’s permission, though occasionally they exceed expectations and do more than they should.  They get slapped for that.

Just to be clear, a friend of mine who is a nuclear physicist, did the analysis and said they are not likely to be building weapons grade material with this place.  It is not that big.  The press is playing this up when it is not relevant to nuclear weapons development.

So, from both of these articles, it appears the frost on the pumpkin is North Korea is continuing on with its nuclear development, given time by a pause created by the meeting between the US and NK leaders.  Over the years this seems to be their routine.  Ratchet things up, then calm them down and go on doing what you were doing.  The Chinese run this operation and North Korea has fun doing its part, but this time they are facing an administration that might not like that way of doing business.  This one does not like promises that are not kept.  No doubt General Mattis made that clear on his visit to China.

China consistently believes that it can do what it wants, anytime it wants, and proceeds accordingly.  When they meet resistance, they move around it or slow down.  They don’t quit.  If they really want nuclear weapons in North Korea, they may have taken on a task that exceeds what the US will accept.  They know that, of course, yet proceed to find out what we will do.  They have been doing that for a long time.  They are observing, correcting their path to strategic goals, but they don’t quit.

The next steps are for us to go back to the successful strategy of suggesting military options to this problem.  China does not want a North Korea that is radioactive anymore than we do.  If we start bombing this nuclear sites, the rubble will be there for a couple of hundred years before anyone can clean it up.  Though maybe North Korea wouldn’t care about the risk to cleanup, and just send people in anyway.  The cleanup crews love their leader - or else.