North Korea Being North Korea: Does it Matter to You?

I’ve written roughly 40 articles about the current political landscape at home and abroad. Six months of covering the most important topics from domestic policy to foreign relations. But it seems I’ve missed a topic, intentionally or otherwise: North Korea.

In my defense, I haven’t paid much attention to North Korea since that big thing over Seth Rogen’s The Interview. It’s pretty obvious that Kim Jong-Un wants the entire world to pay attention to North Korea though. It seems every other week they test a new missile that may or may not have the ability to reach Japan, reach the U.S., or even leave the ground. And every time it happens, people get worried and start drawing up WW3 posters starring everyone’s favorite supreme leader.

I try not to get caught up in the media hype and fear mongering whenever we are reminded North Korea exists. I can tell you this: No way is the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea a direct threat to the United States. Their technology pales in comparison and they would never get the chance to attack. However, North Korea is surrounded by America’s closest Asian allies, Japan and South Korea. North Korean attacks can certainly do harm to our allies, but again, they will be swiftly taken care of by stationed U.S. military.

The most concerning aspect of North Korea is not their technology, disregard for their people, or even their don’t-give-a-shit attitude, it’s their ties to China. China is like North Korea’s glamour-muscled boyfriend that is always getting dragged into fights by his small, whiny girlfriend. When North Korea finally crosses the line (DMZ), it will China and the U.S. sorting the mess.

History time: After World War II, Japan relinquished control over the Korea peninsula, with it being divided into two by the United States and the Soviet Union. North Korea later invaded the South, leading the the Korean War in 1950. Here is the first taste of China and the United States fighting on behalf of Koreans. China defended North Korea and the United States South Korea. The Russians also have ties to North Korea and don’t think they won’t realign again if need be.

So when North Korea does something stupid, we have North Korea, China, Russia, and the Middle East against South Korea, the United States, Japan, and Western Europe. Yippee…

The reason North Korea is in the news this week is because of newly issued sanctions against the country by the United Nations. The U.N. (which North Korea is a member) is sanctioning against the missile testing last month. Of course, North Korea doesn’t like these sanctions. These target the country’s chief exports and make it difficult to make money.

So maybe there is a threat. Maybe when Fox News plays North Korean missile tests on loop they are truly afraid. Or perhaps the advanced nations of America and China can sort through this without starting a war. Chinese President Xi and that U.S. President guy have really hit it off the last six months, you never know. If anything were to come of the North Korean situation, it will surely be fought by larger parties, namely China and the United States.

Written By: CJ Wilcox (@CJWilcox7)

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed by this writer are solely his own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Couch Guy Sports, affiliates, or other contributors. Yeah, I’m surprised I can get away with it too.