Let's hope that North Korea changes

What is happening now could speed up a change for their people.
China looks like the answer to me i.e. to show them that change is good.

Don't think so Jim and Sean.
New leader there testing the boundaries.
US chest out

It's a tricky one to call.
Of all the 'experts' called to the various TV news rooms none of them give a convincing view and none of them agree.
Herein lies the problem imo.

There are a lot of contributing factors, not the least of which is the relatively new and inexperienced leadership of both North and South coupled with new and untested leadership in China also.
Predictability somehow doesn't fit this time around.

We all know about the Asian issues around 'Face'. Or at least we should do.
Mix all this with sibling rivalry and it's easy to see how misunderstandings and mistakes can be made.

I'm not sure just how much influence China can exert. In which direction it would exert any. Or even it it wants to.
I very much doubt China will do anything in the slightest bit controversial. They already have enough to handle with Japan and others (including Philippines) without making unecessary waves.

On balance, I tend to agree to Mike. I just don't see any major international military action.
There may be some minor 'local' actions, as has happened before.

I don't think the new leaders in China are enjoying this one little bit.

I think that John Kerry is playing it about right, but as has been said none of the accounts and explanations look convincing. It is entirely possible for an hereditary young idiot to lead a nation into a disatrous war - Kaiser Wilhelm II managed it..

I think its just a new young leader doing a bit of postering and trying to flex his muscles myself. Locally N Korea may pose a bit of a threat to the south but I don't think that'll happen either.

And to think I applied to go to our new build drillship getting built right in S Korea. Possible war and dog for dinner!!

I did put in for it last year as I would've been promoted but due to manning requirments on here I stayed on the mighty "Belford Dolphin" in Mozambique. To be honest I'm glad I didn't go, lets just say that certain folk got promoted sideways to korea. Its a pretty good crew on here now and that really helps. I 've left a few jobs in the past due to working with numpties

I have one word of advice for anyone invited by the shipyard drinking team in South Korea. This will by definition happpen before some particularly critical inspection or other haggle.

It is this:

Eat the ginseng porridge.

At an early stage, before the serious drinking, you will eat a meal, certainly involving kimche and probably bulgogi. By the side of your plate, normally to your left, will be a bowl of what looks like porridge. It's ginseng.

Get this down you, whatever happens.

You now have a sporting chance of surviving the rest of the evening, which will include two or more of the following:

Another three bars
Two bottles of whisky
A keysing house (if you are lucky)
A disco
A fight (this one is without the option - every drinking evening ends in a fight...

...and being able to work next day...

(don't ask me how I know this...)

I never got to work on a drillship. Maybe just as well as I do get sea sick. Worked on heaps of semisubmersibles that undoubtedly are a lot more stable. Presumably keeping ballast is trickier though again, than on semisubs, presumably the seas are less rough where the drillships are deployed?

Keysing house - halfway between a geisha house and a regular brothel; may involve karaoke. You get to keep the girl if you like (unlike a geisha house, where you certainly don't) but it is a good deal more civilised than a regular brothel (and you don't have to take a girl; you can just make polite conversation - her English is likely to be excellent).

The point to keep in mind is that a disco is a place where fights can, and usually do, happe,n but it is uncivilised to start throwing punches in a keysing house.

Some interesting stories here.

When I lived in Japan I would regularly visit Korea for business.
In Japan all 'bad' (criminals) people are either Korean or Chinese. Never Japanese.

I always enjoyed my visits. Basically just the very same as life and basic practices in Japan except that the Koreans are much more aggresive and rude. Especially when drinking.
Totally opposite to the Japanese in that respect.

I much prefer the Japanese way. I do enjoy the Korean food though, as does my wife.

Getting back on topic, the Japanese also play a major role here and likely 'under-the-table' with US. I think it's still the case that USA has a treaty of unquestioned military support of Japan. Japan certainly has no friendly feeling for N Korea (even South) and relations with China are strained to say the least.
Quite a 'melting pot'