Response to failure tests North Korea's new leader

North Korea's new leader Kim Jong-Un (R) leads a mass rally for his late father and grandfather following the country's failed rocket launch.

Security Clearance/ By Jamie Crawford

When it comes to North Korea, nothing is ever clear. You can double down on that bet when it comes to trying to foresee what the catastrophic failure of its rocket launch means for the country's new ruler and his military.

North Korea experts say how Kim Jong Un reacts to this humiliating setback, however, could be an open window into the strength of his hold on leadership.

"The question is whether (the launch) is going to be consequential, and I think that remains to be seen," said Scott Snyder of the Council on Foreign Relations.

If history is any guide, North Korea is likely to follow up the rocket launch with a nuclear test, or some other sort of provocative act as a signal to the world of its strength and resolve. The question is whether the rocket failure causes the regime to change course. More >>