The writer is delusional.
1. He said: “There is one, and only one overriding priority that should now guide U.S. policy on Korea. It’s not regime change in North Korea – despite that regime’s loathsomeness – or even the wellbeing of South Korea or Japan. It’s avoiding Kim’s developing a missile system capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to the United States.”
As of today, that may have become a fait acommpli.
2. He misses entirely what is not in the self-interest of either China or Russia - robust anti-missile systems in South Korea and the growing possibility of Japan and/or South Korea developing their own nuclear arsenals.
A. Neither China nor Russia want to see that.
B. But both those things continue to increase in likelihood as North Korea’s nuclear ambitions are not shut down.
More and more China are seeing that if they do not want nuclear armed Japan and South Korea and both harboring advanced anti-missile systems, then the continuation of the regime in the north is not in THEIR interests as its actions will surely produced outcomes in Japan and South Korea they do not want.
Exactly what to do. Anti-missile systems and Nukes. Then watch the Russians and Chinese start moving. Just make Japan and S Korea pay for it (full price). They need skin in the game.