Korea...what's next?

I can't help but think that there is something truly fishy about the recent large explosion in North Korea. North Korean officials are now claiming the explosion was planned and intentional, as part of a construction project, but the site is where North Korea has a munitions operation. Some analysts think this site is where North Korea would store at least some of their nuclear weapons, assuming they have them. We will probably learn more about this in coming days, but may never learn the whole truth. One distinct possibility is that this did involve North Korea's nuclear weapons - and that someone managed to attack the facility with a large bomb. No one involved would likely be interested in spreading the truth about that one - North Korean or her enemies - but we will likely see evidence in other arenas if this, indeed happened. If North Korea substantially changes her stance toward the West in the next few months, I would look for clues about the relationship between this mysterious blast and the North's negotiating position. If the North gets more belligerent, something about the blast may have improved their position - and the opposite, if they become less belligerent.

In discussing this, someone asked "Who would win - North or South Korea?"

This is an easy one. A N/S war would be terrible, partly because it would be difficult to prevent the North from killing a lot of people in Seoul. That being said, North Korea would depend heavily upon support from the PRC. This is effectively countered by US support of South Korea, but that effectively means a Korean war would either become a Sino-US war or the two would have to duke it out themselves. A Sino-US war would be much worse than a Korean war, as it would have significantly worse effects on the global economy. China has far more to lose on that score at the moment, because almost all Chinese economic growth is driven by export.
Were the Koreans left to their own devices, it would probably play out like the US Civil War in reverse. The South has the industrial might and the technology, and would likely win as a result.