North Korea has tested no less than five new missile models in recent months. These tests of new weapons — which range from long-range cruise missiles to a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) — have violated U.N. resolutions and drawn condemnation from the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council as destabilizing.

But despite raising alarm, Pyongyang’s new weapons do not change the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula in any appreciable way. Moreover, there is no indication that North Korea plans to initiate conflict or launch an attack in the near to medium term.[/p