Unclear if current North Korean noise is heading to a tipping point

This December 1, 2017 picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 2, 2017 shows North Korean soldiers and Pyongyang residents holding a rally to celebrate the North's declaration on November 29 it had achieved full nuclear statehood. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un declared the country had achieved a "historic cause" of becoming a nuclear state, its state media said on November 29, after the country tested an intercontinental ballistic missile earlier in the day. - AFP

Following six nuclear tests since 2003 and more than 20 missile launches in 2017, the North Koreans may have reached a point to conclude their military advances with a nuclear capability credible enough to discourage the United States from attacking North Korea.

They could now start to negotiate from a stronger position with the US, with the aim to relax the ongoing economic and political sanctions.