I would suggest a rational solution to the problem of North Korea is for the U.S. to suggest that we would be happy to see China depose Kim Jong Un and install a government more in line with China. That would eliminate the current problem and also give the Chinese a sense of security, controlling their border state. We could sweeten the pot by offering trade deals to the "new" North Korea that would help offset the Chinese occupation cost. The North Korean people would certainly be better off under a Chinese puppet state. What makes this possible is that North Korea's military forces are aimed almost entirely at the South, with only a border guard at the Chinese border to prevent the escape of its own citizens. The Chinese military should be able to sweep in and disable North Korea's nuclear facilities and missile launch systems before the North Koreans could react. Hopefully I'm not alone in thinking this way.