United Nations inspectors believe North Korea was left with only enough plutonium to fuel about two bombs after it agreed to freeze its nuclear-weapons program in 1994. The Pentagon saw no evidence that Pyongyang was preparing for an attack and did not order the 37,000 U.S. soldiers stationed in South Korea to a higher alert level. But there was no doubt that North Korea was in danger of imploding economically. In Pyongyang, where food is most available, rations for bureaucrats have been reduced to between 3 and 6 oz. of rice per day. Pyongyang is without electricity for hours each day.
Many farmers are too weak from hunger to harvest crops or plant seeds.
Kim still has a firm grip on power, but there are signs of turmoil in the leadership. About half a dozen senior officials have died or been fired recently. The CIA has received reports that some military commanders have been cashiered and some units redeployed because their loyalty was questioned. The Pentagon estimates that North Korea's supply-starved army could not sustain an attack for much longer than a month. As long as that's possible, Kim has the power to bring others down with him.