, Columnist
North Korea Offers an Opportunity for China and the U.S.
Countering a mutual threat could be a chance for broader cooperation.
He's unpredictable.
Source: AFP/KCNA via KNSThis article is for subscribers only.
North Korea's test of a ballistic missile on Feb. 11 and the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of Kim Jong Un, in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 13, are a reminder of two uncomfortable facts.
First, the leader of North Korea, who ordered the murder of his uncle and possibly that of his half-brother, is capable of anything to safeguard his rule. Second, North Korea is rapidly approaching the point where it will be able to use ballistic missiles with nuclear payloads. South Korea is already at risk, and Japan soon will be, too. Intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking Australia and the West Coast of the U.S. with a nuclear payload are unlikely to be more than a few years away.