Very very worrying

[SoapAlert]

North Korea nuclear test suspected after 'artificial' quake
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-37314927

The last thing China wants is a US friendly country right on their border, so they put up with the increasing lunacy.

vs.

The last thing the US want is a Soviet friendly country on their border, so they put up with the increasing lunacy.

Sums up 1970s and 1980s US-South American policy. The US can hardly complain now ...

Isn't China more likely to side with the Western world these days

China is more friendly than it used to be and is increasingly frustrated by the behaviour of North Korea. However, it would be dangerous to assume they are sufficiently frustrated with North Korea to stand by and do nothing if the US starts military action. The question is how far Kim Jong-un can push things before China either takes direct action itself or signals to the West that it would not oppose a regime change.

China would no way allow ther US to go in and China would be reluctant to take out the North regime in worry that it'll create a power vaccum. In all honesty China should just do away with North Korea and take it on themselves. China are the lessers two bads really. Much lesser.

To those posting 'it's all about the oil stupid' and 'yeah like intervention is gonna help': what exactly is your point? If it's oil why didn't the US invade Iran, which has oil aplenty? As for intervention surely it should be possible to draw a distinction between 'constructive' intervention (Bosnia, Kosovo) and destructive e.g. Iraq?

Still, not like MNers to take a situation which has nothing to do with the West and turn it into a good old session of America baiting eh?

justwant thats so interesting may I ask why you went there in the first place, were you scared?

It's the newsreader Ri Chun-hee that I am always struck by on these occasions.

She is terrifying. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-37315893

Nothing to Envy is a really fascinating book, I'd also recommend it as well as a few others; I read two or three books about NK (it's a country I am particularly interested in for various reasons) and when you read of the same thing in each book it's likely to be accurate - I think some can be sour grapes in places.
The Girl with Seven Names by Lee Hyeonseo is another good one.

I've also read Nothg to Envy and would recommend it. I have often considered trying to visit, but in the end I worry that tourism may lend legitimacy to the regime, like that Spanish Bloke (Alejandro Cao de Benós de Les y Pérez) who I saw a documentary about.

As for people who seem to be advocating some sort of military intervention because of the "poor people" there - the ordinary people will be more fucked than ever if the West tries to force change IMHO.

Humid - sorry I only just saw this.

We were in Beijing and we saw the Vice Guide to North Korea so we thought we'd go. DH and I are pretty experienced travellers.

I'm not sure whether it was the best thing, going. On the one hand I gave the regime money, but on the other hand I got the opportunity to experience it for myself, rather than just being fed the western propaganda.

Weirdly the NK propaganda we were subjected to whilst we were there wasn't really gauged to deal with cynical western tourists. They seemed to think they were convincing us of their ideological superiority, but your average Internet using ten year old wouldn't swallow it.

I read the book people are discussing up thread, with that in mind you could just see how flimsy the whole set up is.

If I got the chance to go back, I wouldn't. Not this side of a major positive regime change.