FWIW...the panel on Brit's show pretty much said that NOTHING is going to happen.
Charles Krauthammer was saying that what the USA would like to do is "quarantine" all ships going in and out of North Korea...
He said that quarantine means inspecting each ship...like we said we were going to do in the Bay of Pigs standoff...
He said we never had to actually do it..because the Russian ships turned around and went home.
However, he said that that is considered an "act of war"..and would need approval by the UN...and that even SOUTH KOREA would not let that happen...because they are too close to North Korea, and fear the backlash of ANY hardcore sanctions...
SIGH..DOUBLE SIGH
*sigh* Indeed.
I still say we mine the harbors and park a couple of SSN's out there as insurance.
Here is a good breakdown of the outlook by the S. Koreans. It is from 2003, but I don't think things have changed much.
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/27530.pdf#search=%22south%20korea%20congress%20vote%20withdrawal%20us%22
This is a VOA take on the election in 2002
http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/rok/2002/rok-021219-3a5ef388.htm