Think of North Korea as the pitbull on the end of China's leash as part of the efforts to exert influence in Asia by Beijing's leaders.  As NK goes around snapping at the neighbors when China goes out to tell the rest of Asia who is calling the shots in the neighborhood, it failed to see the fact that the pitbull got a little rabid and a bigger threat than anticipated and now may even threaten its master.

The United States, being the surrogate policeman for the neighborhood now lets China that the pitbull now has to be either de-fanged or put down.  China said not my problem.  Now the US pulls out their service pistol and puts it to the head of the pitbull and says, "I will put the NK regime down if you don't".  So in effect, that is where we stand today.  Either China gets rid of the problem or the United States will.

And if anyone thinks Lil' Kim can be reasoned with, the bat shit crazy guy killed his own brother in February.  So what answers or solutions are there?