By The is what Minxin Pei is recommending in this article in The Diplomat:
What is most worrying about a possible North Korean collapse is that the key players in the region are not talking to each other, even informally, about such an eventuality. It’s almost certain that these powers—China, the United States, Japan, South Korea and, possibly, Russia—have all drawn up their own contingency plans for Pyongyang’s quick collapse. However, they’ve done nothing to explore a collective response to what is without doubt a geopolitical game-changer.
As a result, many crucial questions remain unanswered. For instance, how should the United States and South Korea react if China sends combat troops into North Korea to conduct ‘humanitarian assistance’ missions? In all likelihood, Beijing will be tempted to do so if millions of refugees start fleeing into China. Which country will take the lead in securing nuclear materials? How will China respond to the crossing of the 38th parallel by South Korean and US forces? Who will take the lead in reaching out to Pyongyang’s post-Kim regime? What will be the collective security architecture after the Korean peninsula is reunified? [The Diplomat]
You can read the full article at the link, but preparing for a North Korean collapse is something I have been recommending for years and seems to become more en vogue now a days since it is beginning to dawn on more and more people that the Six Party Talks were a charade, that the North Koreans have no intention of giving up their nuclear weapons, and China has no interest in seriously punishing the North Koreans for provocations. Before and after the shattering of the popular myths about North Korea, regime collapse has always been a possibility; I just think it is one that American soldiers shouldn’t be involved in.
