

North Korea was aligned with the Soviet Union after the Sino-Soviet split. All China needs is a buffer state with the United States and its forces stationed in SK, but it wasn’t interested in turning NK into a vassal state after the Soviet collapse. In short, it doesn’t have as much pull as people might assume, and it’s none too interested in intervention.
Violence is the favored recourse of the stupid (idea from David Graeber), since it is almost impossible to come up with an intelligent response. When fascists come for you, and make no mistake as they are coming for you right now, you must respond in the only language they do understand.
It is sad it has come to this, but there’s no use pretending it ain’t so.