comment: >
  
  "amid", there's that lazy journalism word.
context: It will remain a stalemate for a while.  They want to be a begrudgingly accepted nuclear power like Pakistan.  The US and South Korea want complete denuclearization.  The north has china and Russian backing too so US and South hands tied unless North truly escalates. >
  
  What would the tipping point be though? >
  
  NK launches a nuke, it gets intercepted (cause NK is too small and AD can be close by), NK probably gets either nuked or stormed by US and SK military and stops existing as a country.
  Denuclearization is complete. >
  
  Yeah, cause invasions have proven to be extremely effective in the last 5 decades. >
  
  I don’t understand how hermit kingdom can make anything let alone advanced weapons. >
  
  What's classed as an advanced weapon these days? We had nukes back in WW2, just look at the technology we had back then to make them. It's not a hard stretch of the imagination to think north Korea would have WW2 technology at least. >
  
  Right but access to the equipment to refine the fuel etc unless they’re buying the fuel etc. 
  you’re right though. I just wonder, how the hell do they have any money at all >
  
  Look up Office 39; it's a North Korean government agency that makes money for the regime through illicit activities (basically a state-run mafia) such as weapons and narcotics smuggling, selling counterfeit goods and currency, cybertheft, insurance fraud, human trafficking, etc. >
  
  They still get most of their money from taxes and international commerce, like most states. The DPRK is fucked up but it's not primarily subsisting off of mafia shit or insurance fraud.