This has all happened before. Trump forgot. Most of reddit forgot. But we are repeating history.

In 2002, George W. Bush declared North Korea part of the axis of evil. He pursued a strongly hostile policy towards North Korea and placed sanctions on the government. However he did not act because American forces were tied up in Afghanistan.

In 2006, North Korea tests it's first nuclear bomb. George W. Bush was president. (Yes, North Korea had had nuclear weapons for 10 years now)

In 2010 North Korea attacks and sinks a South Korean warship killing 46 sailors. South Korea retaliates by halting trade with NK.

In 2010, North Korea bombs a small South Korean town killing 2 civilians and 2 soldiers. The west retaliates killing 5-10 soldiers.

Also remember, The dmz with North Korea is the most militarized border in the world, there is 30,000 American soldiers, around 500,000 North Korean soldiers, and around 500,000 South Korean soldiers sitting on the border ready to do a reenactment of the Battle of Somme With the addition of mass landmines and cluster munitions.

//// If you look at the past 30 years of history, you can make the following conclusions. 1. North Korea will not back down. Rather, things usually just cool off overtime with no new incidents happening. 2. North Korea usually strikes first with the west making a proportional strike back. The west usually takes more casualties than North Korea. The west is more fearful of casualties than North Korea is.