North Korea's 'biggest' nuclear test

[Gary L]

World leaders have reacted with anger after
North Korea carried out its fifth and reportedly biggest nuclear test.


The South accused the North's leader Kim Jong-un of "maniacal
recklessness".


China "firmly opposed" the test, Japan "protested adamantly" and the US
warned of "serious consequences" including "new sanctions". The UN Security
Council will meet later behind closed doors to discuss the issue.


Such nuclear tests are banned by the UN but this is Pyongyang's second in
2016.


Kim Jong-un's rhetoric has also become increasingly aggressive, analysts
say.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-37317782

I think they're getting ready for Trump.

"What do you think about Korea testing their biggest nuclear test Mr Trump?"

"When I get in they won't be doing any testing. I'll nuke them off the face of the planet! the day after I get in"

"Thanks Donald"

[adzii_nufc]

Not by much, 10kt at best? Was expected on September 9th. Another round of sanctions, another round of food aid and the merry go round continues.

Creeping up in kt's but still failing to miniaturize a warhead and succesfully mount it to an ICBM. One day they'll achieve it of course and war with Korea in the future is inevitable.

We know anyone could crush them though. The point is does Kim Jong Un strike you as the type of bloke who cares about launching a Nuclear weapon in the face of death anyway? That's the actual issue I see. Besides 25 million uneducated refugees on Chinas border.

So naturally the time will come when proper action will have to be taken but for now it's just the tiniest notch further up the ladder for them.

[Ignitionnet]

The big question is how much more of this China will tolerate before they decide that having a buffer between them and the capitalist South Korea isn't worth the grief, and that running the risk of a mass wave of North Koreans into their country is viable.

China certainly has the capability to be quite brutal in its dealings with any North Koreans who attempt to defect, and I doubt the international community would get too involved as it'd weigh it up against a basket case dictator with nuclear weapons.

Whilst concerning this nuclear test is less worrying to south korea then the large scale north korean troop movements on their side of the dmz and the increased rhetoric coming from the asylum that is north koreas leadership. China i think very soon is going to find itself in a very difficult position of either to continue backing north korea or having to send it's military in to calm things down.

[Osem]

China in N. Korea could be a lot like Russia in Afghanistan I reckon.

Not quite there are quite a few north koreans with a fondness for china they could well be received as liberators depending on how hard they are once in, beijing is keen to demonstrate they are able to handle things of this scale in a more globally acceptable manner then the past but time will tell.

[adzii_nufc]

There's no peace to be had if anyone marches in, any first strike initiative from any country, China or US would result in Seoul being peppered with Artillery and very possibly a Nuclear device. Which means any ideas of striking first would have to see Seoul evacuated, a move North Korea would know was a preparation for a first strike.

Kim Jong Un isn't a man that'll be seen to back down in public, he'll cower away in a shelter and dictate from there raining down hellfire that'll result in mass casualties in both Korea's before giving himself in like a coward.

China can't get them to stop assembling a Nuclear device never mind achieve a peaceful negotiation. The fantasy idea of any country just marching in there is just that, fantasy. We're dealing with a very volatile, hostile country.

The ideal scenario, which is even more fantasy like is a joint operation by both the US and China to covertly remove or assassinate Kim Jong Un, removing him and his Military officials from power and installing their own form of Government, keeping the 25 million population at bay and making an attempt to create some form of legit economy.

Naturally there's just as many issues with that.

- They'll be all too happy to try and unify Korea, something the South could not afford, something which would antagonize US-China relations, having an American Ally with an American military presence on it's doorstep.

- Rebuilding a stable economy with less than skilled workers is no easy mountain to climb.

- There's just no perfect scenario for this. As Igi put above, isn't worth the grief, if anyone takes action, someone somewhere will take a hit, whether it be in money, refugees, mass casualties.

China already has a base in north korea although technically it's an advisory consulate or some bs like that and the chinese military regularly enter north korea so china is the only one with the capability to do things remotely peacefully. As long as north korea sticks to abusing it's own people and screwing things up internally no one really cares sanctions and food aid as per norm.