The issue with NK isn't if they have nukes or stable vehicles for those nukes.

[Weekend Warrior]

It's the 10,000 plus units of artillery and hundreds of missles the north has near the border.

Seoul is under 40 miles from the border.

As crazy as they may be NK knows they will not be successful in a full scale war. They have used these things as a deterrent and for leverage.

There is no possibility of a drawn out armed conflict with NK. If they miscalculate, and a war is started, their only option is to unload their arsenal as rapidly as they can. There are no replenishments after that.

This would be the most intense thirty minutes of war the world has ever seen.

That is my flawed opinion.

[TexasProgresive]

1. A correct opinion in my own opinion.

[Azathoth]

2. DPRK has made that absolutely clear

The instant hostilities break out, Seoul and the surrounding areas get vaporized with both conventional and nuclear weapons (if available), and whatever nukes are left are heading for Japan and any other target they can reach.

[Docreed2003]

3. Spot on assessment!

Seoul would have suffered unspeakable damage before American reinforcements even put boots on the peninsula.

[revmclaren]

6. There would never be 'boots on the ground'.

Our response would be high altitude bursts to knock out any and all electronics on the ground and on warheads and a few dozen bunker buster warheads to take out leaders, troops, etc.

A million plus will die and more over decades from fallout and weather changes.

But Kim and trump are both sociopaths who believe they ARE the universe so All bets are off!

[underpants]

4. Seoul is there leverage not nukes

[Cicada]

5. 10000 Americans and 500000 Koreans die. Trump could care less.

He said we should make sure we kill the wives and children of Islamists we bomb.

He is as cold blooded as a cobra.

[pangaia]

7. 500,000? It would be a hell of a lot more than that.

We're talking Seoul, Bucheon, Incheon, and then Suwon, Seongnam, on and on...

Seoul is about 10 million
Incheon 3 million
Bucheon close to 1 million

Even Busan is less than 200 miles from Seoul..

[David__77]

8. North Korea is a bunker.

I think there have been a lot of preparations for an outbreak of hostilities.

In my opinion, the best thing would be to use incentives and not threats. The cost of war is much too high.

[Duppers]

9. "Use incentives and not threats."

Thank you. That's the ONLY SANE thing to do.

But there's two insane men playing this game.

[NobodyHere]

10. Incentives for what exactly?

[Gore1FL]

11. The only thing Kim Jong Un wants is to remain in power

He won't use his nukes unless provoked; they are meant to be a deterrent for outside forces to depose him. He's pushing that to a brink that is making the strategy work against itself. Having a madman on the throne of the United States doesn't help matters.

[yuiyoshida]

12. Should mention those thousands of land mines at the border...

that would probably be difficult to invade...unless soldiers carry their own metal detectors...

[jimlup]

13. I think this is correct

particularly if the US attempts a decapitation preemptive strike. The US conventional forces would be able to take out large amounts of the North's military fire power but some would leak through. If the regime believes it is going to die it will not be a rational actor. Miscalculation is very possible - particularly with the Orange Clown King on the Iron throne.

[LS_Editor]

14. China will not allow North Korea to lose its territory.

Same thinking from the early 1950s. They don't want a US ally on their border.