What is the best way for the international community to deal with North Korea?

ignore it. dont feed the trolls

Think the international community really want to do anything about it, if not ignore.

If they really decide to do something do it, and make it count.

Think China has to step up here else they are party to it, being thier closet "somewhat friendly" country and most likely the supplier of most imports to the country.

North Korea has made itself an island, and many millions of citizens are stranded on it.

The brandishing of nuclear technology is no surprise coming from them, and the world can only respond by keeping a close eye on them for any outgoing physical threats.

So, we can keep above their paranoid rantings, keep watch on them at all times, and embrace the thousands who are brave enough to try to escape.

Nothing will be done. One of the fundamental principles of politics is to always have an enemy which must be defended against. When the people are afraid of an enemy, they allow their politicians to spend billions to protect them from that enemy. And, better yet, these enemies and the crises they cause help distract the people from the domestic misdeeds of their own politicians.

North Korea could have been dealt with a long time ago, but it is a benefit to all the neighboring countries to leave North Korea as it is. The suffering of those oppressed by the North Korean regime can be blamed on China, Japan, America, and all the others who allow it to go on.

By the way, the seismic data from test number 4 is virtually identical to the seismic data from test number 3, so the world powers are now highly doubting that the test was a hydrogen bomb test.

As for putting more sanctions on N.K. you can't impose more than 100% sanctions. Once that has been reached, all you can do is seal the borders and write off the country as lost. If Kim Jong-un wants to declare that a "victory", then he can knock himself out. At some point, the citizens are going to wonder why they have trouble finding food while he continues to do an excellent dumpling impersonation.

How about talking instead of threatening them all the time. Koizumi visited N. Korea and they sent back the surviving abductees soon afterwards.

Tubby needs to be brought to justice

I agree that the best route is just to ignore them. Little Kim craves attention like a spoilt child. Totally ignore them and cut off all aid - the equivalent off sending him to his bedroom until he is prepared to say sorry and behave. NK has nukes but there should be little fear that they will be used as offensive weapons. They are NK assurance that they will not be attacked.

There is no good way for the "international community" to deal with North Korea.

How to deal with North Korea?

Don't - deal with China.

Best answer so far, but it should have happened 50 years ago. Too late now. Violent and non violent Espionage and subversion

I know that sanctions aren't working.

Interesting comment. So you propose lifting sanctions? Talk about sending the wrong message!

Short of military intervention, sanctions are the only tool the international community has. The problem with N.K. is that their typical M.O. has been to rattle sabres, then promise to be good in response to easing of sanctions, then if sanctions DO get eased behave for - oh - six months or so before starting the cycle all over again. This has happened often enough that N.K. is basically experiencing a full embargo and nothing they say can be believed. No more relaxing of sanctions as long as the regime remains the way it is.

So the answer to the topic question is for the international community to continue to treat N.K. as you would an ebola patient and quarantine them. Shut down their borders and let them self-destruct from within. The fact that they now apparently have hydrogen bomb technology doesn't change things because that technology is only valuable to them as long as they don't actually use one. Once they actually detonate one in anger, the response from the rest of the world would be swift, merciless, and either Korea would get re-united or China would gain additional territory.

Readers, sensible answers please.

There is no way to deal with NK anymore seeing as they are nuclear-armed. All previous leverage over them has gone due to this and military action is completely out of the question. China has successfully maneuvered NK into a permanently frozen conflict like in Ukraine with Russia, except NK has nukes and is ruled by a maniac who would most definitely like to cause some trouble before he gets too old

There is no "good" way to deal with N.Korea. Sanctions don't work, never have.

FizzBit JAN. 07, 2016 - 03:07PM JST Best answer so far, but it should have happened 50 years ago. Too late now. Violent and non violent Espionage and subversion

Worst answer by far. China is not happy with the actions of North Korea. Other countries including U.S. cannot do nothing.

@sfjp China's massive aid program has kept that country afloat since the 60's. That would be a start. And as you say, relations have never been that great between the two but China is the only one in this position. If the US had leaders with convictions instead of pockets, things might be different.

Dialogue if possible, although I'm doubtful about that. Keep all sanctions in place and don't keep telling the rest of the world what they're up to. The media are far too anxious to give all these idiotic regimes full publicity every time they make a move or a broadcast. Maybe if they were all totally ignored, they'd change their ways. If anything is going to happen, it has to happen from within.

It's actually a very good question.

North Korea really is quite unlike any other place in the world and as hard as it is to believe, the Kim dynasty have some serious longevity under their belt. The thing is, that they aren't really any kind of serious threat against the military of the South, Japan or the US (or the combination thereof).

Despite the paranoia of the place, I think the senior leadership know that one moment of madness and they are completely stuffed. The last time they puffed up a bit, the US sent warships up the peninsula and they quieted down quick smart.

The best thing to do is to ignore them, it really is. It would be fascinating to see some kind of internal revolution, that's what I hope for, but it's really hard to see it occurring.

I really feel for the people. I would like to see a unified Korea.

Have the international community push the US and other parties into finally signing a peace agreement. Also reduce US provocative military movements in the region.

Someone has got to listen to what N Korea has to say.

That would be a bit constructive.

I think shonanbb's comment above is hilarious and appropriate. North Korea is so outrageous that the best reaction is just to laugh - if you can. If you are a direct victim of their madness then just pray and forgive them because they don't know what they are doing.

How to deal with North Korea?

Don't - deal with China.

First off, North Korea has to start acting reasonable, instead of a schizoid it is acting right now.

A) North Korea does not even want to talk. They haven't gone back to the Six-Party Talks since 2009!

The other nations have been waiting since then, but when North Korea does not want to talk, how are ya going to force them?

B) A peace treaty goes both ways. What conditions would North Korea demand that would be acceptable to the other nations? And what conditions from those other nations would North Korea accept?

If North Korea acts psycho and demands too much or does not want to accept anything, then who's gonna sign that peace treaty with them?

Complete and utter blockade. No supplies in or out. no gifts of food, nothing. When the people start going hungry, let then sort themselves out and finally when a sensible leadership regine arises, we can go back to business as usual.

As America bombed Pyongyang to pieces 50 or so years ago, it is something that never been forgotten nor forgiven! Now, the North Koreans have hydrogen and nuclear bombs! The result is that the regime has guaranteed its legacy. There is no 'dealing' with it now as to do so would be the start of a Third World War.....

If everyone sends them email over and over, they will get mail bombed and denial of service problems, this FatBoy will not be able to order pizza on line.

With love.

Kisses and hugs and send them flowers every Saturday.

The danger is not so much that North Korea may have a bomb (they'd probably blow themselves up with one), but that if they did they would likely sell it to a group that really has the means and will to use it. For that reason I believe the best way to handle North Korea is for China, South Korea and the U.S. to cut a deal along these lines; remove the Kim's and anyone associated with them from power, then make sure aid actually gets to those poor citizens and finally broker a deal where the U.S. and South Korea do not move the DMZ one inch or take any land. Let NK be a protectorate of China (similar to Guam and the U.S.) the UN and other organizations contribute to the upkeep.

I was tempted to say "a pre-emptive nuclear strike" but they don't seem to have much of a sense of humour, do they?

Well, the American way would be to send in the troops and blast them to smithereens.

But how about meeting with them, finding out what the beef is and handling it?