William Arkin on Korean Missile Non-Crisis

North Korea, starved for attention and with its own fish to fry domestically and in its own region, may or may not be preparing some rocket for launch, and it may or may not be attempting to use its missile as a bargaining chip or a PR stunt, and it may just be attempting to put its own satellite into space. What should crystal clear though in a world of risks and balances is that North Korea's missile, even if it exists, is hardly a threat to us.

Many in Seoul are dismissing the reports of fueling and the military dimensions of a launch, stressing that all evidence appears to point to another attempt to launch a North Korean satellite. They point to the above ground obvious preparations and their own intelligence that indicates no warhead.