There are trouble spots that could explode into violent conflict at any time in the world but any definition of "unstable" or "unpredictable" must include North Korea, and more specifically, the erratic leader Kim Jong Un.

Although Kim has no formal military training, he commands the fourth-largest military in the world and has been ominously testing new medium-range ballistic missiles to transport the nation's nuclear weapons. Even before President Donald Trump was sworn into office, North Korea tested the new administration, boasting that it was in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S.North Korea must be taken seriously, if only for the fact that it is the only country to have tested nuclear weapons in the 21st century. But it also has an estimated 1.19 million people in active military service, making it the fourth-largest standing army on the planet. U.S. armed forces, meanwhile, total about 1.36 million members.North Korea has a bad rap sheet among nations. The annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which evaluates 168 countries across the globe in terms of bribery, counterfeit medicine, backdoor payments, access to foreign media and other public sector corruption, has it tied with Somalia.North Korea is known as "The Hermit Kingdom" for good reason. People are so subjugated they have no idea of the outside world. Using smuggled film footage, PBS "Frontline" did an excellent documentary that opened the eyes of many of us concerning the nation. Most revealing was the total control Kim has over the people.While most North Koreans have no access to the Internet or foreign media, some do covertly pass along films, music and other media on USB sticks. Being caught, however, with something deemed unacceptable by authorities - such as a pirated South Korean movie DVD - can bring harsh punishment.Kim even controls hairstyles. Women are ordered to keep their hair short and emulate the basic bob style worn by the Supreme Leader's wife. Men are encouraged to copy the much-mocked angled bouffant worn by Kim.North Korea erected a "Propaganda Village" not far from the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. From a distance it looks to be a pleasant town full of colorful houses, schools, a hospital and a large flagpole.But nobody actually lives there; it was built in an attempt to lure South Korean defectors north of the border. Lights are set to a timer and the buildings are mere shells and facades.The way Kim has been able to maintain total control is very ominous. When someone violates a law, that person isn't the only one punished. The offender's entire family can be sent to a prison work camp, including children and grandparents. Kim reportedly even had his own nephew publicly executed to maintain his brutal regime.North Korea calls itself the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, but it's hard to find any democratic process in the elections they have every five years.First, there's only one name on the ballot - the Supreme Leader. A person can veto Kim by publicly crossing his name out, but that's at his or her own peril.North Korea does have universal free education, and it ranks ahead of America's functional literacy rate of 85 percent. But the Kim worship starts in kindergarten, and the indoctrination is found in all curriculum.High school students, for example, must complete a three-year 81-hour course on the history of Kim Jong Un, which is in addition to a 160-hour course on Kim Il Sung and 148 hours on Kim Jong Il, the family predecessors.North Korea is also dangerous because of its poverty. An estimated 6 million citizens don't get sufficient food, and a third of the children have chronic malnutrition.With such a global threat as North Korea, it's very dangerous for Democrats in Congress to slow-walk the Trump administration's nominees.The international community looks to the U.S. for leadership in confronting threats like North Korea, so having a full command chain in place is critical. That includes American ambassadors, who are front-line communicators with our allies and partners in the Far East and around the globe.By Jim Zbick |

tneditor@tnonline.com