UPDATE: North Korean “Satellite” Tumbling ‘Out of Control’

In a recent post, Victor Cha, the former director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council, warned of the dangers of viewing North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un in caricature. Kim is dangerous, and he proved it recently by defying international pressure and launching what could be a ballistic missile test.

We’re not sure exactly what kind of object North Korea put into orbit, but we do know that it is now “tumbling out of control,” U.S. officials told NBC News. All previous tests by North Korea have ended in failure. And yet, if Kim eventually succeeds, experts warn he will potentially have the capability to hit the west coast of the United States. 

In the video below, Victor Cha tells Big Think that the single biggest misconception about North Korea is “this notion that they are crazy and irrational.” So what exactly do we know about Kim and the political apparatus he has aligned himself with?

Watch the video here:

Follow Daniel Honan on Twitter @Daniel Honan