"Oh great. US acts on NK's nukes, Japan gets hit.
Checkmate?"
No. If Japan gets hit, the world's largest repository of plutonium (that has yet to develop nuclear weapons)which is also (with the exception of the U.S.) the world's most technically advanced nation, goes nuclear in a matter of weeks if not days.
Then, the Japanese can administer their own retaliation.
It would be fearsome. They have "issues" with regard to nukes.
The Japanese Defense Ministry has published guidelines whereby they will consider pre-emptive action if they believe these missiles are being readied for an attack.
If this is more than an exercise, then it could become exceedingly dangerous.
If I were Mr. Kim, I would not fuel those birds.
And most important, I would move the warheads far away from those bases lest a fatal "misunderstanding" arise.
Well, thats reassuring Joe, but what about the nuke that goes off here, we do not even know how many, where, devastation, retaliation...
"No. If Japan gets hit, the world's largest repository of plutonium (that has yet to develop nuclear weapons)which
is also (with the exception of the U.S.) the world's most technically advanced nation, goes nuclear in a matter of
weeks if not days."
I suspect they are already nuclear "in pectore".