http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21974381

Ignore them until they actually do something?

Maybe the Americans will finally call North Korea's bluff. If they have the forces in the areas they could probably hold off any invasion, unless China decides to support North Korea. Though the constant instability does not always benefit them either.

North Korea enters 'state of war' with South

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21979127

NK is a hereditary kingdom, its new leader is the third generation scion of a dynasty that has had difficulty providing for its rapacious upper classes and its starving peasantry. Any history student can tell you those regimes are inherently unstable - and all the more so during times of change when expectations are raised and then rapidly dashed.

In the early stages of any dynastic change, the old cliques fear losing influence, riches and protection - they live is a very dangerous political atmosphere where people disappear and its unsafe to speculate about why. The middle ranks of the military and the bureaucracy are jockeying for position to gain those coveted positions of influence, without which they are equally subject to purges and feuds. And anyone with access to military force who feels sidelined is likely to make a desperate bid for absolute power. It can get messy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_of_the_Five_Emperors

On top of this; a nouveau riche class of black-marketeer class is emerging. These are the guys who can supply the luxuries that are in demand among the wealthy, and arrange the exports that bring in the foreign currency needed for them. They have the money to bribe the lower level cops and soldiers who should be terrorising them, which undermines the power of the higher level ones. These people are becoming untouchable and represent a new centre of power which is dangerous in a country where power is supposed to be entirely contained in a single structure.

We shouldn't respond to provocative rhetoric as if it was a communication with us. The little fat kid is just telling his own people he's still in charge. Probably because he isn't so much any more.

So no change. Just reminding people where they stand.

Yes but all it takes is one accidental incident and we could have a full-blown war.

If NK invade SK then there is no-way the SK and US forces there could stem the tide with conventional arms.

I think that they could. If they had the border lined with MRLS they could simply flatten the entire border so nothing could get through. It all depends if China supplies troops like before, but they have so much more to lose now. Trade would suffer and the rest of the world could impose sanctions on China if that happened. Each of those are very unlikely. They may be more likely to invade North Korea and bring in a new leadership. They want stability just as much as anyone else. A full blown war will hurt trade even if they do not get involved.

I'm guessing the only reason the Americans haven't already blown their nuclear facilities to kingdom come is because attacking nuclear power stations is now against the Geneva Convention.

It has not stopped them with all the wear crimes committed in Iraq or Cuba.

I don't think there are any nuclear power stations in NK

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21999193

'Hey, Cartman! How about some electricity?!'

No commercial power stations, but there are "nuclear facilities".

It's not that clear how many or in what state of completion, but Yongbyon complex is in the news today as per Ernie's link. (He beat me to it lol)

There's some historical detail on Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_po ... orth_Korea