Yesterday, North Korea unleashed an artillery barrage on a South Korean island killing two South Korean Marines and wounding 14. This is the latest confrontation by the isolated North Korean regime.
The military provocation is the latest in a series of hostile actions against South Korea dating back to the attack on a South Korean frigate early in the year. The attack comes days after delegates to North Korea confirmed that North Korea has expanded and modernized its nuclear capabilities, with a new 2,000 unit centrifuge enrichment facility at Yongbyon.
The situation in North Korea has confounded both Democrat and Republican administration, and it is now apparent that negotiations have not worked, leaving U.S. strategy toward the North in disarray.
The question remains, what is the North trying to accomplish with these military actions? Most experts believe this is aimed at solidifying the military support toward Kim Jong-Un who just recently took over from his father. North Korea's economy is in dire straits and this could be its way of getting economic assistance. The wild card in all this is what is China's position on North Korea?
In light of these current events, what will be the Obama administration's response to the provocative behavior of North Korea?
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