And since they're still trading with their neighbors Communist China, this should get real interesting...
One thing I do know, is this government knows attempting to draft hundreds of thousands of Americans to run off to protect Japan, South Korea and or Taiwan in some ground war in Asia, ain't going to happen.
They are trading with PRC, yes, but there is a growing rift in that relationship. The new leadership in China is frustrated by the petulant behavior of Kim. China is massing troops at its border with DPRK, not to support them, but rather to stem the flow of refugees and to seal the border when hostilities commence. PRC cannot and will not deal with the mass influx of peasants fleeing DPRK - contrary to wide belief, they have enough internal problems to deal with.
What strikes me as odd, however, is the current timing. I would not put it past China to test the waters with the U.S. and the incompetence of our current leaders (Hagel, Obama, Kerry, et al) - China has the most to gain here by expanding their ring of influence and getting rid of Mao’s unresolved issue.
Add Vietnam to that list. That's another place China's looking to invade.