Quote: Might be a little different, with this POTUS.
I don't think so. What are Trumps options. militarily ?
Can't use nukes. Certainly not preemptively. And from a practical standpoint North Korea is way to small and too close to South Korea, Japan, China and even Russia for that to be a possibility. The fallout would not be contained to North Korea.
Air strikes with conventional munitions are not sufficient by themselves to bring a country to it's knees unless they relentlessly target civilian populations. And that takes time. No way Trump gets away with that.
North Korea would by no means be a pushover in a ground war. It took six months to get sufficient resources in place on the Iraq border before the push to Baghdad. And Iraq is desert. Ideal for mechanised infantry and armor. North Korea is not. A large portion of it is mountains.
Don't forget that the first Korean conflict wasn't settled . What exists is merely an armistice - a cease fire. North Korea in no way believes that it lost that war, nor that it is really over. It would be a huge mistake to underestimate either it's resolve and its ability to defend itself from an invasion of it's territory. Technological superiority isn't such a huge advantage in a war of attrition when everyone is walking and carrying their sh*t on their back.
The US is not right now ready to fight a war like that, either militarily, or, more importantly, politically. Do you think that Trump, congress, or whomever, is going to be able to sell a war like that; a multi year war with the likelihood of tens of thousands of American casualties, to the American people Possibly I suppose, but it would be a huge mistake.
So. Stalemate. Unless, or until. Kim actually launches an attack first, which I don't think he's likely to do.
I think the two big shots are just going to keep flipping each other the bird, and yelling "F*ck You!" at each other for a while. At least I hope so.