The DPRK has commando groups that it has used to kidnap Japanese civilians from coastal areas. I have no idea whether it could use those troops to plant a bomb that way.
NATO? If the US was specifically attacked we could call for NATO since the treaty obligates all members to come to the defense of others. However, NATO is not our only alliance. They have been flying demonstration missions over the peninsula with combined flights of US, Japan and South Korean aircraft. Any coordinated response will most likely be a Pacific one not European.
If people in LA should be concerned, how about people who live in Seoul or Tokyo? Wonder if the huge American English Teaching population in these cities has been reduced significantly of late? I taught for awhile in Tokyo and I know I would have left months ago contract or no.
Its interesting that there is also a large mainland Chinese presence in Seoul from students and businessmen and women to diplomats and their families. I wonder how the Chinese government in Beijing would feel if these individuals were suddenly vaporized?
The threat to Seoul hasn’t changed significantly in decades. Kim could do more damage to Seoul using conventional artillery than he could using any plausible nuke the regime might build in the foreseeable future. And that’s not even counting reliability: Nobody would be particularly surprised if North Korea tried to nuke someone, but the bomb and/or missile just fizzled. The problem with artillery, from the North Korean point of view, is that it can’t hit any place but Seoul.
I just came across this relevant update: the Hwasong-14 may well have been derived from designs from the Ukrainian Yuzhmash facility. At least, that’s what The NY Times is reporting:
I wonder if that would cause a Lake Michigan tsunami?