NK missile issues:
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Reentry shielding. Their missiles have a tendency to melt on the way down. They’ll probably have that worked out soon.
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Targeting. They’re never going to manage Chinese-grade precision (the Chinese military can get direct hits on warships with ballistic missiles), but they’ll probably hit the country they’re aiming at. Inaccuracy is a mixed blessing; they may miss a target, but they might also hit something by mistake during a test launch.
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Miniaturisation. There are claims that they’ve recently managed to make a nuke small enough to fit on a missile, but the truth of that is unverified. There’s also no way for anyone to know if the miniaturised nuke + ICBM combo they’ve developed will work unless they conduct a live nuclear test.
The North Koreans will not launch a nuclear attack on anyone unless they feel that their survival depends on it (or as a revenge strike if they think they’re doomed).
However, if American missiles and bombs begin hitting North Korea, that is a judgement call that the Koreans will have to make under extreme time pressure with imperfect information.
Want to avoid nuclear war? Don’t attack Korea.
