[revscat]

There is no MO regarding an attack from a country like North Korea.

Actually, there is. They tend to huff and puff about American military exercises that occur in cooperation with the Japanese or the South Koreans, or to complain to the UN about various things (e.g.: the CIA torturing people). But their MO, such as it is, is to complain and threaten, almost exclusively. Occasionally they will perform a missile test that causes concern, but those missiles land in the Sea of Japan or some other body of water, not anywhere that causes actual harm.

No, this goes against the DPRK's MO up until now. If they are responsible then it is a shift in their tactics from "loud and threatening, but basically harmless to other nations", to "actively and publicly committing acts of economic espionage." That would be quite a departure for them.

[sabertaylor2]

I read the "War Nerd" claiming that NK lands kill parties on SK soil. Which seems to contradict your statements.

[personZ]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/18/world/asia/north-korea-hacker-...

North Korea is suspected in a number of similar attacks. Because really, what is anyone going to do? Attack them? They have nukes. Isolate them? They can't possible be more isolated. Sanction them?

As an aside, the regular threat of using nuclear weapons is an act of extreme violence, and I doubt North Korea's neighbors treat it so flippantly. The threat is unlikely, but extremely real.