Ok, lets look at a months worth of BBC news on north korea, im posting this because however you look at it, a pattern is emerging;

"North and South Korea have agreed to resume their bilateral dialogue, which was suspended last year following a row over defectors."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4476959.stm

A sociable start...

"South Korea has warned North Korea not to conduct a nuclear test, following fresh warnings that the North is building up a nuclear arsenal"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4480647.stm

American agression towards korea??

"America's chief envoy to North Korea has warned that the US will not wait forever for Pyongyang to return to six party talks on its nuclear programme."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4484581.stm

America getting impatient...

"America's chief envoy to North Korea has warned that the future of six-nation talks on the North's nuclear programme is in doubt."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4488367.stm

Everyone getting a but uncomfortable in the sociable atmosphere...

"The UN's former North Korea envoy, who is being investigated over the Iraq oil-for-food scandal, employed a relative in breach of UN staff rules."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4499943.stm

oil for food...?

"Japanese officials say they are checking reports that North Korea has test-fired a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4504041.stm

the first missile...

"The entry into force of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT in March 1970 represented a milestone for a world living in the shadow of the nuclear bomb."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4504511.stm

The treaty is questioned...

"North Korea's neighbours have played down an apparent missile test by Pyongyang at the weekend."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4504987.stm

A not-so-bad missile??

"The world's nuclear powers are set to face calls to speed up disarmament as a conference on atomic arms control opens in New York."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4504737.stm

Getting a bit too uncomfortable...

"Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura has again warned North Korea to return to nuclear talks or face being taken to the UN Security Council."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4521219.stm

Now the threats are being thrown..

"Diplomats are trying to revive six-nation talks on North Korea's controversial nuclear programme, after the secretive state announced it was suspending "indefinitely" its participation.
The BBC News website analyses the crisis over the North's nuclear ambitions, and examines the background to Western and Asian policy on the issue."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2340405.stm

question time...

"The world must show zero tolerance to North Korea and put pressure on it not to launch a nuclear test, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog has said."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4523697.stm

And now the whole worlds involved...

"Recent images taken by US spy satellites reportedly show activity at a suspected North Korean test site at Gilju, in the north-east of the country."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4524019.stm

spys and puzzles...

"Asian and European foreign ministers have urged North Korea to rejoin talks on its nuclear programme amid fears it is about to test a nuclear bomb."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4524477.stm

Nucleor testing...

"UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohammed ElBaradei has said North Korea could possess several nuclear bombs."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4528011.stm

6 bombs??

"The leaders of China and South Korea have expressed deep concern about the deadlock over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4528623.stm

back to talking...

"A senior North Korean official has told a visiting Japanese academic that the country may soon test a nuclear device, according to media reports."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4532121.stm

back to testing...

"The BBC News website charts the build-up of tension since North Korea's reported disclosure of a secret nuclear weapon programme."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2604437.stm

a little bit of history...

"North Korea has moved to "increase its nuclear arsenal" by removing fuel rods from a nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, according to an official statement"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4536181.stm

raising the stakes...

"The US and South Korea have condemned North Korea's alleged move to "increase its nuclear arsenal".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4538935.stm

Naughty korea...

"North and South Korea are to hold talks next week after a 10-month suspension"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4546799.stm

more talking...

"South Korea says it has offered new incentives for North Korea to return to six-party talks on its nuclear weapons programme."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4550413.stm

....and more talking...


Sorry about all the links(i pray they work!), but i thought you guys would be interesting in the pattern thats emerging and your veiws on what will happen or any hidden meaning to all this nucleor activity etc etc.
Im not sure what to make of all this but the words "america", "japan", "N.korea", "nucleor" and occasionly "oil" seem to come up too much to be comfortable...I personally think things should have never been alowed to get this far, but anyways...
Thanks for your time and for enduring this long post, any comments/opinions are much appreiciated

There wouldn't much point in N.Korea going to war with anyone by itself, but if it were to join forces with anyone it would be quite a formidable force...
If its not war, then getting benefets and leniency in its black market trade would be a posible reason but other than that, what is the point and why is N.korea pushing the boundarys of Nucleor missile testing...?

Hahaah if North Korea tried to start nuclear ###### it would be a fiasco for poor Kimmy. He would immediately be facing off against Japan, Taiwan, Australia, South Korea, and the United States. China might even join in the Korean bashing action.

No, if North Korea was stupid enough to rattle the nuclear sabre, the nation would fall in a matter of days.

North Korea is quite simply looking into nukes because Kim Jong Il is an egomaniacal fool.

If there realy is so much control and force over korea then why wasn't it stopped in its earlier stages? The koreans aern't stupid, just ruthless, they have a huge income every year from their black market earnings which China supports to a certain degree- i think this is more about money than war.

There isn't a total control over them.

However there is more than enough to stop them from dropping The Bomb.