[thoughtomator]

Never. The Chinese have far more reason to prevent NK from being actively nuclear - it's no secret that country can fall apart at basically any time, and any missile that can reach the US can hit anything in China.

This stuff about NK is a tempest in a teapot. Let's get our troops out of the South and let the local powers handle the fruitcakes. By the time NK can reach us with missiles we will be able to shoot them down. Time to let the heavy hitters over there clean up their own neighborhood. China wants to be taken seriously as a global player? Let's give them the chance to show what they would do about a lunatic with nukes on their border.

[Maynerd]

" Let's get our troops out of the South and let the local powers handle the fruitcakes. By the time NK can reach us with missiles we will be able to shoot them down. Time to let the heavy hitters over there clean up their own neighborhood. China wants to be taken seriously as a global player? Let's give them the chance to show what they would do about a lunatic with nukes on their border."

Unfortunately, there is a flaw with the otherwise appealing isolationist approach - PROLIFERATION. NK will sell anything to anybody. They are desperate for cash. I am skeptical an embargo would be effective. Barring an unlikely diplomatic breakthrough (NK capitulation) only military options remain.