What about the North Korean perspective?

It appears that everybody is obsessed with North Korea these days, The Nation included. Most of the comments analyse a possible US response. We more or less know what the USA wants: a (n almost) complete North Korean disarmament, at least a suspension of North Korea’s missile and nuclear efforts with possible economic compensation. China is supposed to press North Korea on behalf of the “International community”, ie, to deliver what the USA wants. But there is little debate of what China and North Korea may want. To assume that China will press North Korea under the threat of trade sanctions is the height of stupidity. China wants the US Navy out of the Chinese declared maritime area and, possibly, there might be a deal. North Korea is probably not fully under Chinese control (much as Cuba was not a Soviet puppet) but China (and Russia) must have a good laugh at the Kim’s ability to annoy and scare the USA. It is perhaps a dangerous game but why would China give up freely such a golden opportunity to pay back in kind? 
Finally, North Korea is portrayed as a paranoid, impoverished dictatorship. To some degree it might be true, a cornered dog is likely to bite, but North Korea’s regime appears to be a very rational. First, it is a country with very significant technological capabilities. How many countries would be able to develop this advanced weapons programme, while in total isolation. Thailand? Very unlikely.
Even the Kim Jong-un assassination, that you discuss separately, is an example of impressive sophistication. You may not like it but the precision and effectiveness of the method is impressive. Even Mossad bungled such difficult assignments in the past (in Norway or Jordan, for example). Kim certainly fears an attempt at “regime change” and knows very well that if you trust US assurances you are likely to find yourself at the end of a pipe. 
So a good editorial should examine the situation from the point of view of North Korea. There is, of course, a lot of bluster and heated propaganda but there must be some rational solution. You may recall that 50 years ago it was predicted that a conquest of Vietnam by the communists would usher a catastrophic end of the Western World. But it happened and the world still spins (minus several million victims). So it appears that at the end of the day there will be a nuclear armed North Korea and the world will learn that it is OK.
Przemo Kranz