eventually does not really matter, because I can also argue that eventually US can will develop a 100% hard kill vehicle and render ICBM worthless. They are getting close at this moment.
To the American or to the North Korean?
Because to the American, it is not something that risk is the concern, you nuke me, I nuke you, that is the purpose of MAD. To the North Korean, if they have to nuke the US, they would have no other choice because that would mean that's the end of them (or possibly the world) and if they are going to die anyway, what's the risk?
I was rather pointing that US can't go for a first strike because of the potential damage it can cause. If NK is the first aggressor(they aren't that stupid) then I'm sure they will be obliterated but they would cause as much destruction possible to it's enemies before going down.
It doesn't matter, US First strike policy existed not because of North Korea, it was because of the guy who have 3000 ICBM (That's Russia, in case you still don't know), as I said, if Nuke are to be used, that mean it would be THAT DIRED. And it does not matter who US is nuking, Russia, China or North Korea, that does not mean anything because at that point if Nuke is at the table for the US, the situation would mean it worth US mainland getting nuked in return.
The US would still try to minimize the damage by conducting a full count (which is a prompted strike on known Nuclear Facilities), the bigger the nuke (with longer range) the harder to move, which mean most of these ICBM the North Korea process will be killed in 0 minutes, and the smaller and less yield Nuclear Weapon would be the one that most likely being released, killing these may be harder, but not undoable.
The situation does not change whether or not US is first to nuke North Korea or NK is the first to nuke US.
And in case of Nuking US, it does not matter who does it, it will automatically mean the end of the world, the USAF have a standing protocol to retaliate with thermonuclear response in kind. Which mean nuking US would mean the end of the world, by then there will be no friends nor enemy, because we would all be dead.
Unless little Kimmy loses his mind there is little chance of any attack on US from NK. He has made sure that any attack in NK by any party will be too costly to conduct.
It still doesn't matter, what the US scared is not NK nuke (or the one they said they have) but rather if they can enrich Plutonium, they can make dirty nuke or dirty bomb, and which can be used unrestrictedly in the world, NK have nuke which mean everyone can have nuke, because there are not even a single doubt NK will sell the secret in black market. Which mean any (not just to the US) enemy of the state can get one. Think about it, what if Chechen separatist got nuke and nuke Russia? Or Xinjing Separatist brought black market NK nuke? What will China think about it?
You cannot just think NK will use Nuke officially, they will be selling it on the black market, either technology, material or both, and then it would become a free for all. Think about how this impact the world.
In term of Official position, NK Nuke does not create a clear and present danger to the US, If the US still in a business to challenge Russia (They bomb the Russian Airfield in Syria just the beginning of the year) and Russia have 3000 thermonuclear weapon, what kind of threat does NK post with a few ICBM to alter the US foreign Policy ?
I believe every country in the world has the right to develop nukes. It's unfair that some can have it while some can't.
Well, It's not that clear cut, in a way, Nuke lose its appeal as a weapon of mass destruction, because now we can target more people with Bio-Chemical Weapon which is a lot more easier to make, but maybe at the same level of destruction power than nuclear weapon.
Everyone can have nuke, of course, but when that day come, the term nuclear weapon would be a moot point, because of the MAD, you have to mad enough to use Nuke and once you use it, you will have to endure the consequence (which is the end of the world), this is not about fair or unfair, this is because there are country or organisation that have little regard than others, what if TTP have nuke? Would you be scare in Pakistan or Afghanistan? The question is, I want a world without nuke, if not, I want weapon that can neutralise nuke to be develop as quickly as possible.
Actually looking at the things as they are, best option for China is to use her deep assets in North Korea and take Kim-Jong-Fat out and install a controllable puppet. You know, a fat diabetic is prone to sudden death syndrome.
Hard to pull this out, China is not really on top of the espionage game, it will take immense resource for China to pull this out, especially now when NK does not see China as a master/slave relationship, and graduate move away from China. And Kim have killed almost all potential leader that are close to China.
The only way for China to remove Kim is by force, but I doubt that we can see that anytime soon.