When assessing the enmity of North Korea, it is necessary to consider the difference between possibility and probability.
It is well past the time that what N. Korea threatens to do is a mere possibility. We are spending too much time in rationalizing and convincing ourselves that there is no real problem, just a loony dictator making what is essentially an empty threat, and not responding to it will solve the problem: an extremely risk-averse approach that actually increases the risk.