HERE'S WHY NORTH KOREA'S KIM IS DOING WHAT HE'S DOING:

IT'S A LOYALTY TEST:

KIM AND HIS COMRADES ARE TRYING TO SEE WHICH OF HIS GENERALS CAN BE TRUSTED AND WHICH IF ANY CANNOT BE.

THEY ARE RAMPING UP TALK OF NUCLEAR WAR AHEAD OF THEIR TEST IN ORDER TO SEE WHICH IF ANY GENERALS, COLONELS - AND OTHER OFFICERS - WILL CAVE.

AND WHICH ONES MIGHT PLAN A COUP RATHER THAN START A WAR.

IOW: IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NOKO PUBLIC ACCEPTING KIM.

IT'S ABOUT DISCOVERING IF THERE ARE TRAITORS IN THEIR MIDST WHO MIGHT BE THINKING OF SELLING OUT THE NEW, YOUNG TYRANT. (TRAITORS WHO MIGHT BE ALLIED TO CHINA OR SOKO OR JAPAN OR THE USA.)

IMO THIS IS THE MOST LOGICAL EXPLANATION.

I DON'T THINK IT'S EXTORTION - AS THE NOKOS HAVE PRACTICED IN THE PAST (AND AS THE ISLAMISTS IN GAZA AND ELSEWHERE HAVE PRACTICED IT).

IF IT WAS MERELY EXTORTION - (ON THEIR PART, OR ON BEHALF OF CHINA), THEN THE CHINESE WOULD HAVE BEEN DEFENDING THE NOKO'S INTERESTS MORE THAN THEY HAVE TO DATE.

IMO.