It’s easy to forget, if you read the U.S. media, that North Korea’s conflict isn’t really with the United States. The North Korean military can’t do a heck of a lot against the USA.

On the other hand, it could inflict a lot of damage on South Korea, even if it meant the North Korean military would quickly be wiped out in retaliation. If North Korea wants to go out in a blaze of glory, it’s South Korea that would suffer.

Which is why it’s so reassuring to read things like this:

The South Korean media have also been measured in their coverage. When North Korea vowed last week to restart its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, South Korean newspapers devoted more space to government plans to grant tax breaks to home buyers. On Naver, the country’s most popular web portal, the most read news item last week was about Ryu Hyun-jin, a South Korean baseball pitcher who made his debut for the LA Dodgers.

via North Korea readies missile launch as fears of a covert cyberwar grow | World news | The Observer.