I gave a talk to some very bright high schoolers a few weeks ago, about how they should think about North Korea when they read about it in the news. Here is the gist of what I tried to get across: (thread)
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(It is a broader point, but I think it is deeply disturbing that, after a half-century of mired conflicts, while we are still stuck in two of them, the broader US public, and many politicians of both parties, still seem to treat going to war rather lightly.)
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3. It is difficult to do so, but try to put yourself in the DPRK's position. They are a small, poor, weak, isolated country. They have one half-friend (China) who benefits from their being a point of attention for the rest of the region. They are otherwise surrounded by enemies.
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The DPRK view of the US is "that country that killed *millions* of our civilians during the Korean War, but who we ultimately fought to a standstill." The DPRK view of the US is, "a country that has nuked cities, overthrows governments, reneges on its deals."
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From their perspective, we aren't the good guys, we're the massive, rich, powerful, evil empire. We're Darth Vader; they're the rebels. We're Goliath; they're David. In their eyes. Is this right? It doesn’t really matter, except where these views shape their behavior.
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Think of every movie in which a scrappy group of fighters hold back against terrible odds while the barbarians are at their gates. Think of every movie where the last soldier in the bunker hits the switch and kills himself and much of the enemy in his dying gasp.
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If you back them into a corner, they might do "crazy" things. If they feel all is lost, they might do "crazy" things. If they feel there is no hope, watch out. The same as we might, the same as most proud people might.
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If the US tries to decapitate their leadership, or destroy their nukes, expect them to feel like they are in a "use it or lose it" scenario. Expect them to have prepared for this. Expect them to be willing to make the US or our allies eat a nuke in such a situation, if they can.
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To continue the empathy: what does the DPRK want? Most of all, they seem to want to feel that the US is not going to try to "decapitate" them. That's why they are making nukes. That's why many governments have tended to want nukes — for security.
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The US has spent the last 75 years saying that nukes == security. Don't be surprised when a weak, vulnerable country buys into that logic. Don't think that you are going to convince them to give up their security with threats. It has never worked that way.
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4. (Bonus point) Don't believe it when people say the North Koreans are stupid, are incapable of technical feats that are now decades old, etc. Their scientists and engineers seem competent enough to do this kind of work. They have been working at this for *decades*.
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End of conversation
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That 'half-friend' poured a million troops into the border and forced the UN to retreat for almost a month.
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If I were to put my self in the DPRK's position I would be seriously questioning my countries leadership. It's by no other reasons but their own, they are surrounded by enemies.
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