The North Korea Problem

When Barack Obama left office, he reportedly told the incoming President that the gravest security risk that the newcomer would face would be North Korea and in light of recent developments, he was probably correct.
North Korean President, Kim Jong-un, has become increasingly provocative recently with ballistic missile tests landing in Japanese waters, the expected assassination of his brother in a Malaysian airport and the 'hostage taking' of Malaysian officials.
The West has used a mix of mix of diplomacy, sanctions and incentives to try and bring North Korea into line but under Kim Jong-un, the country has seemed hell bent on flexing its muscles backed by its arsenal of nuclear weapons.
The Wests appears impotent in face of the provocation and seems to be in danger of sucking in the US, Russia and China to dangerous levels.
The US Pacific Command have announced they will be sending military equipment to South Korea but both China and Russia have object, arguing that it upsets the regional strategic balance and leading to China closing South Korean-owned retail outlets in protest and curtailing Chinese tourism to South Korea.
Beijing have said that: 'The consequences of this are on the shoulders of the United States and South Korea. They should not keep going down the wrong path and will definitely be taking necessary measures to safeguard our own security interest'.
China and Japan have both announced increases in military spending after the Americans announced an increase in their own defence budget so it could be that the Obama warning about North Korea could turn out to not only be a problem for the inexperienced and capricious President but a problem for all of the rest of us.