[sudosysgen]

It makes no sense to day Kim Jong Un doesn't exist without China. China has an interest in preventing a massive refugee crisis on their borders and are thus interested in the stability of North Korea.

Unless you think China should regime change North Korea and risk the death and displacement of millions of people?

If they could get Kim out without massive disaster then they would have done it yesterday. He causes them a lot of issues and they have been very reluctant to help him - they would have been well within their rights to, for example, veto all sanctions against North Korea.

[UnpossibleJim]

It's relatively well and widely known that the Kim Jung's and the military are supplied by China, partially to keep the peace, but partially as a diversionary state under their thumb. It isn't even conspiracy theory at this point, when retired generals start talking and writing about it.

N. Korea's population and military would have broken away long ago under such conditions without some outside support.

[sudosysgen]

It's not a diversionary state, it's really just a buffer, ie, not immediately hostile.

It's very very well documented that the Chinese are incredibly displeased with Kim Jong Un. Plenty of retired generals talk and write about it.

NK's population and military breaking away without outside support is far from guaranteed to bring a better outcome for anyone. It's not clear to me a military dictatorship is going to be less brutal or repressive than the Kims and it's not clear either that the population could ever break from the yoke of the military should the Kims lose power.