Even if the immediate Korean crisis eases, the underlying problem of a crippled but dangerous North Korean state will remain. The state, as we know it, may not survive for long. Yet, given its paranoia, the Kim regime can be expected to strike at its enemies if and as it faces oblivion. On top of a possible human apocalypse in the North, the stakes for the United States include the security of South Korea and of US forces there; the control of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons; Japan's security; US standing in East Asia; the intervention of China in Korea; the future of Sino-American relations and prospects for a unified and democratic Korea. In the event of collapse, US interests and obligations would require action by the United States - quite possibly, major use of its armed forces. Although the North Korean state may survive for years or may go peacefully, the possibility of a violent end requires that the United States make serious preparations, which is the point of this essay.
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