“As he spoke about the escalating stand-off with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea shortly after his arrival in Seoul, South Korea, Vice President Mike Pence stated the Trump administration position that “the era of strategic patience is over.” Certainly North Korea’s continued defiance of U.N. and U.S. sanctions that have aimed to dissuade it from its growing development of its nuclear and weapons systems warrants a new policy.
But is military force, even with the North’s continued bombast and testing, our only strong option? Some who have been involved in trying to retard or end the DPRK’s program think there is a better option: bankrupt North Korea.”