North Korea is not Libya. They already have a deterrent without nuclear weapons as they could kill millions in the south with conventional weapons. They will give up nukes in exchange for ending US war games on their border. And they are desperate to have capitalism. The south is willing to create economic cooperative zones. They don’t want a northern collapse and a flood of refugees. It’s in everyone’s interest to fix North Korea.

North Korea can just change a few policies and copy the South. They have been separated far longer than East and West Germany. With East Germany the real power was in Moscow. In North Korea the power is in their own capital. Kim, terrible as he has been will have to retain a role in any new Government much like the Japanese emperor had to be allowed to retain his position after WWII. They are too revered. Kim will also not cede power without a new role, governor of the capital or something or become a monarch of the North but get rid of communism.

Unification would be made easiest by a two state confederacy. North Korea must embrace a free market economy before it can change politically. People can not vote when they rely on Government for food rations.