Alarm at North Korea's nuclear threat - but the regime may fall from within

Kim Jong-un (Getty Images)

The Drip's previous engagement with North Korea's Kim Jong Un has been to wonder at the boy-dictator's good looks. Now there's more serious matters afoot. A leader in this week's Economist raises concern that Mr Kim may be ready to host a nuclear test - and has been prophesying future war. Like father, like son.

But there's no need to head for the bunker just yet, if the Economist's analysts have it right. They see one big green reason for hope - "Capitalism is seeping through the bamboo curtain".

A new class of traders and merchants has the power to destabilise Mr Kim's regime. But they'll need help; and the West should don its saboteur goggles and start burrowing.

Here's what the Economist advise: "taking every opportunity to undermine the regime...So outsiders should pay for North Koreans to travel and to acquire skills abroad, support the radio stations that broadcast into the country, back the church networks that supply documentaries and films and turn a blind eye to the smuggling networks and the traders."