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Problem is...North Korea is a legitimate existential threat to a key US ally (South Korea) and a meaningful threat to others (Japan).

We have fun laughing at North Korea but they are armed to the teeth and are indeed capable of turning Seoul into a cinder.

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This capability comes with or without nuclear weapons as well, since Seoul is located well within artillery range of the north.

You wouldn't know it given the land size of the country, but NK used to have the third largest standing army in the world, after the USA & PRC. (They are fourth now, after India)

Which would stand up just about as well as the Iraqi army did in either Gulf War after a week's worth of airstrikes from a CAG in the Sea of Japan, cruise missiles and land-based bombers out of Japan. It'd be a turkey-shoot.

In the week we obliterate the DPRK, they'll flatten Seoul.

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