NK is threatening with nuking US

[The Valkyrie]

I am somewhat amused that NK is taking Trump's latest comments, "They won't be around much longer", as a declaration of war.

They've been threatening to nuke and/or attack the US, South Korea, and Japan repeatedly over the last few years, firing missiles over these countries and generally provoking everyone however they can.

But it's Trump's rhetoric that is a declaration of war.

[Anomalocaris]

Actually, i don’t believe North Korea fired missile over South Korea or the US.     It did fire missiles over japan.    But a country’s sovereign airspace does not extend to the lowest altitude at which a satellite can remain in orbit.    The apogee of intermediate to long range ballistic missile trajectory is typically way above that.

So as long as North Korea took care to make sure its missiles overflew japan at above lowest possible altitude where a satellite can fly, iit may have been rude, but it violated no internationally law, and committee nothing that can be remotely described as an act of war, when it fired missiles over japan.

Being overly apoplectic when a smaller power is merely acquiring a tiny fraction of the capability to inflict damage on the hegemon compared to the hegemon’s ability to inflict upon everyone else in the world is always sanctimonious and usually does not look good for the hegemon, even if the small power is ruled by a fat little slime ball.

It particularly look bad when the hegemon is ruled by a totally off the rails bombastic buffoon who talks wipping the smaller country off the face of the earth, thus in every other countries eyes gave complete justification to the smaller power for wanting to have the capability to hurt the hegemon back.

[vorlon13]

um . . .

there is a truce in effect from the Korean War, but that's it. State of War exists on paper at least, and as such, I'd say while it might not be too smart to fire at 'em, any aircraft in South Korean airspace might be plausibly subject to attack.

[Anomalocaris]

um . . .

there is a truce in effect from the Korean War, but that's it.  State of War exists on paper at least, and as such, I'd say while it might not be too smart to fire at 'em, any aircraft in South Korean airspace might be plausibly subject to attack.

And it is quite common for North Korea to fire artillery shells South Korean troops on the ground inside South Korea. It happens at least once every couple of years.

North Korea also routinely send infiltration parties into South Korea. They are pretty well practiced at this. Most of these are probably not caught. One could expect heighended efforts to send more infiltration parties if they really anticipate conflict.