Attacking north korea: Why war might be preferred

An air of complacency surrounds the continuing nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Many analysts assert that the chances of a second Korean War erupting are small, barring a serious act of miscalculation or misadventure on the part of Pyongyang. This paper confirms that there is indeed a range of important reasons why the United States would not wish to initiate hostilities on the peninsula in the short to medium term. However it also finds that the case that US policymakers could, over time, build for a deliberate and very major attack on North Korea is actually more comprehensive and its logic more robust than is commonly acknowledged. While it is easy for analysts to continue to regard the attack option as both unlikely and irrational, therefore, this paper concludes that the prospect of a US-led war against North Korea is one that still ought to be taken seriously.