North Korea’s geopolitical strategies are best described in terms of the elementary school playground, with dainty despot Kim Jong Un playing the role of the petulant child who doesn’t know how to get the attention of the “cool kids” without making a fool of himself.
When it comes to bettering the lives of his people, Kim has resorted to a sort of “crime then capitulation” tactic, in which he ramps up his aggressive and awful behavior until he has the eyes of the world upon him, and then offering to knock it off in exchange for some international leniency.
And while this could be a rather dangerous strategy in practice, North Korea’s consistent and embarrassing failures have allowed the world a bit of reprieve.
The latest trouble for the Hermit Kingdom came during a recent missile test that was meant to intimidate the globe.
North Korea fired multiple missiles into the sea on Thursday, including a possible failed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), prompting the United States and South Korea to extend air drills that have angered Pyongyang.
Despite an initial government warning that the apparent ICBM had flown over Japan, triggering warning alarms for some residents, Tokyo later said this was incorrect.
Kim had had some success earlier in the week, however.
The launches came a day after the North fired a daily record 23 missiles, including one that landed off the coast of South Korea for the first time, and drew swift condemnation from Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.
North Korea has been provoking the civilized world in other ways as well, supplying the failing Russian army with extra munitions to use during their Ukrainian genocide campaign.
