The Genie No Longer Fits

"North Korea has been engaged in a so-called headline strategy. We see through their motive. Although North Korea shows no signs of attempting a full-scale war, it will suffer damage many times more than we do if it launches even a localized provocation, for South Korea has no intention of attempting premature dialogue just because of a crisis."
Kim Jang-soo, director, national security, President Park Geun-hye, South Korea

Mr. Kim has also warned a meeting of security officials that the North "may launch a provocation, such as a missile launch", some time after Wednesday, the 10 April date that Pyongyang has advised foreign embassies that it could no longer guarantee their safety, and offering to assist them in vacating their posts. To date, none of those foreign embassies has taken up the offer.

Like the boy who cried wolf one too many times, the foreign community sighs wearily in exasperation tinged with anxiety, perplexed over what Kim Jong-un could possibly come up with next to startle and bemuse the international community into scurrying defensive tactics. There is little doubt of the smug satisfaction the little Dear Leader must have experienced with the U.S. delaying its scheduled missile test to avoid exacerbating North Korea's injured sensibilities even further.

And big brother China is none too happy about the situation resulting from the current stand-off with its protege declaring a state of imminent war, cutting off contact with South Korea, declaring the armistice dead, and instructing its 53,000 workers to avoid returning to work at the Kaesong Industrial Compound, leaving the 120 South Korean companies in a lurch of non-production.

"No one should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gain", stated Chinese President Xi Jinping during an annual regional business forum in Boao, China.  Its "grave concern" over the turn that matters have taken with rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula lends weight to the equally grave concern of the United States: "a concerning situation", reflective of "a pattern of behaviour we've seen from the North Koreans many times".

The latest placement of a long-range missile, believed to be the Musudan with a range capable of hitting South Korea, Japan and U.S. bases on Guam, has certainly upped the ante and the anxiety levels of the countries threatened. But not only does it appear that these threats are geared toward those three targets, but also, it might seem, China and Russia.

Toward China and Russia in a bid to have them exert their authority in the Security Council, and to convince them that it is in everyone's best interests that they mediate on behalf of North Korea. As for example, repudiate their earlier censures of Kim Jong-un's brilliant display of missile and nuclear capabilities and the threats that match them.

China's President Xi Jinping, is either genuinely concerned, or he is continuing to play China's game with its attack dog to concern their common enemies that danger exists close at hand. China has its own issues with South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and other neighbours about territorial integrity; all the areas they've historically assumed to be within their territorial sovereignty have been declared Chinese property, lately.

And American consanguinity of purpose with South Korea, Japan and the Philippines, strikes China adversely, concerned with the American presence on their Chinese pond. China restricts its presence within American territories to economic and trade hegemony, not a military presence. So, President Xi Jinping promises "unremitting efforts to properly handle relevant issues through dialogue and negotiations."

Utterly reasonable, as though China can at this late stage, muzzle its attack dog, once the dog has shaken off the muzzle and chewed it so thoroughly it can never be of any use again.