The Military of the DPRK is simply not adequate to deal with the sophisticated nature of American, RoK and Japanese forces (Should the Japanese choose to get involved directly).
As long as DPRK special forces and cruise missiles couldn't disrupt RoK airfields quickly enough the RoK would achieve Air Superiority within minutes not that North Korea even having Air Superiority for a few days would mean much given the crap they're still working with (that might not even fly).
Almost every single scenario you can run has the North Koreans losing, it's the collateral damage in the meantime that's the most concerning.
The first issue is the RoK being overwhelmed at the border, as the article quite rightly says the DPRK would likely employ old style Soviet Tactics, massive artillery barrages followed by a mass Infrantry/mechanized push which, if timed right could produce some initial gains, but isn't likely to last long after American and RoK airpower inserts its clear dominance. I would also note that it's horrifyingly theorized the North Koreans would also force political prisoners to run at the border en masse to help clear minefields.
On top of that there is also worries that two to three thousand artillery batteries (some sources say 13,000 but this may be way overstated) are aimed at Seoul which could produce as many as 50, 000 casulties on day one.
There is of course the big issue of Nuclear and Chemical Weapons usage... as of yet it would not appear the DPRK has the capability to mount a nuclear warhead.
Ultimately the greatest hope for the Korean Peninsula and the Freedom of the North Korean people is for the regime to collapse... but despite alot of rosy stuff I've been reading about that lately, I don't see that as being any time soon given the nature of the Regime, the same regime that survived the famine of the 1990's in tact.
King Jong Uns grasp on power is not as strong as his father, or Grandfather because many North Koreans reportedly have a big issue with his age as Korean Culture reveres elders and experience but he has wasted no time on his own purges to ensure his power, most notably his own Uncle and Mentor but what I've just mentioned leads to a dangerous situation.
If Kim Jong Un, personally, thought the only way out for him was war or a massive provocation which even he could not control the consequences of, to secure his own power at the potential cost of millions, is he crazy enough to take that chance?
That is the fundamental question.
