The latest artillery attack comes as the Kim regime struggles to maintain its isolation
If you are asking why North Korea is yet again firing shells south, I would put the spread of South Korean and Chinese television into the previously impenetrable domain as an unexpected new factor.
All right, preparations for the succession to Kim Jong Il, the Supreme Leader, are the root cause of rising tension. Kim Jong Un, his son and presumed successor, needs the support of the army — hence, many think, the upsurge in military provocation this year. That is the standard account, and it goes a long way to explain the current clashes on “the world’s most dangerous frontier”.