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| North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-Un |
By Hwang Sunghee
Dealing with a notorious murder by detonating a huge diplomatic row, and firing missiles as a practice assault on US bases in Japan -- North Korea's recent actions demonstrate its willingness to escalate tensions whatever the consequences, say analysts.
Pyongyang on Tuesday banned all Malaysian citizens from leaving North Korea, its latest move in an increasingly heated feud over the assassination of leader Kim Jong-Un's half-brother in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysian police are investigating the death of Kim Jong-Nam, who was killed last month by two women using VX nerve agent, but all fingers have pointed to Pyongyang as the culprit behind the murder.
The North has denied any involvement, denouncing the Malaysian probe as a "smear campaign" to tarnish the country, before the two engaged in tit-for-tat expulsions of their ambassadors.
Daniel Pinkston, an analyst at Troy University in Seoul, said the North's belligerent response followed its textbook method of using force to handle political disputes.
"There is a famous quote in their literature: if someone brings a pistol, bring a cannon. That's how they operate," he said.
Read the full story at SpaceDaily