I agree with your comments. But the situation with NK was not that simple.
The NK’s could have attacked US assets overseas. Then, the US would have to respond. NK would have no choice but to then respond with threats of using one of their secret Nuclear Missiles(whether they would really use it , who can say. Whether they really had a working one, doesn’t matter).
Other nations would be involved, and the whole thing would get out of control. Would we pre-emptively strike NK ? Would the Russians use a Nuke in defense of NK ? Would Middle East countries use the whole thing as an excuse to go after Israel ? Would Israel use Nukes to protect themselves ?
This, I believe, is what Trump was referring to.
Perhaps.
The biggest threat from NK is another all out invasion of South Korea. Or even them launching missiles (conventional) into Seoul. That would almost assuredly provoke a response that would then give the North a pretext for an all out invasion of the South. But to what end from their standpoint? A repeat of the history of 50+ years ago? We would never let the South be conquered and they’ll never unify with the “Kims” remaining in power.
So again, what do they hope to achieve? They want to stay in power and the way they do that is keeping their people suppressed/brainwashed by giving them just enough food to survive and by giving the army just a bit more food so that they keep a revolution from happening.