What is in it for North Korea to fire their missiles to Guam?

The media, pundits, experts have said that the recent North Korea's threat to fire four missiles to Guam is a bluff like they have always done so. They believe that the DPRK would not do it because they don't want the US's retaliation.

But is it really a bluff? I need you to help me figure this out. Currently, I feel like they will really do it. However, I need some extra information. Here are what I have gotten so far:

First of all, they are not going to attack Guam. They will fire the missiles to about 20km of Guam (I haven't checked whether this is international water or not yet, please help confirm), and I do not think they will be tipped with nuclear warheads too. It is just to embarrass the US by showing that it cannot defend its own people. Therefore, it is technically not a direct attack. Coming from an influential Chinese state media, China will not defend the DPRK only if it attacks the US first. But this is not an attack, at least in their perspective, so any US retaliation will prompt China to intervene. This is just an opinion from a newspaper, not the official statement from China, so it is not confirmed yet. But I will assume that it is safe to say China will come to help North Korea. They have interests in North Korea continue to being pro-China.

Secondly, Kim Jong Un has already promised his people nationwide on their state news media. If he backs down now, there will be a significant dent in his reputation in the country. However, knowing what it is like in North Korea, they might be able to call off the launch and lie to their own people that they did fire the missile. How feasible is that, I do not know because I am not an expert on propaganda.

Now here's what I am unsure of: What is in it for the DPRK to fire four missiles to off the coast of Guam? Is it really to just embarrass America? Is it really worth all these tension and sanctions? I have a couple of opinions regarding this, but not good enough to come to a conclusion.

If you don't think that North Korea is not going to fire their missiles, please offer your opinions too.

Extra Question:
- Is it legal to fire ballistic missiles over the airspace of other country without permission? In this case, it is going to be Japan.

I think that both sides are bluffing, but egos become the problem. They risk being trapped in their own bullcrap. They think their ego will be diminished if they don't do something stupid. There seems to be a lot of that going around.
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NK has nothing to gain by attacking Guam. That is why they won't do it and never intended to do it. They have been threatening us since the end of the Korean war. So far nothing. I'm amazed anybody paid attention to them.

North Korea does not test its missiles on a shallow trajectory. What happens is that North Korea programs its missiles to fly in a slightly elliptical up/down trajectory. That is why their missiles always land in the nearby Sea of Japan. North Korea can calculate/deduce horizontal range by measuring vertical height. Their latest ICBM traveled far higher (2,300 miles) than the International Space Station (250 miles). By testing this way, NK via telemetry data can also determine if a nosecone warhead will survive re-entering the Earth atmosphere which is critical to fabricating working ICBMs with a nuclear payload.

NK does possess the missile range to target the island of Guam. In order to fire missiles from NK at Guam, they would have to pass over Japan (Hiroshima airspace). Japan has vowed to shoot them down if this occurs. At any rate, NK would destroy the missiles via telemetry instructions before they crossed into Guam territorial waters. However, the US has thousands of USAF and Navy personal on the island (a US protectorate) and such a NK provocation could provide Trump the wiggle-room necessary to initiate a kinetic US response.

Not You and I said:

The media, pundits, experts have said that the recent North Korea's threat to fire four missiles to Guam is a bluff like they have always done so. They believe that the DPRK would not do it because they don't want the US's retaliation.

But is it really a bluff? I need you to help me figure this out. Currently, I feel like they will really do it. However, I need some extra information. Here are what I have gotten so far:

Click to expand...

If we go by past behavior, it is only a bluff.

First of all, they are not going to attack Guam. They will fire the missiles to about 20km of Guam (I haven't checked whether this is international water or not yet, please help confirm), and I do not think they will be tipped with nuclear warheads too. It is just to embarrass the US by showing that it cannot defend its own people. Therefore, it is technically not a direct attack. Coming from an influential Chinese state media, China will not defend the DPRK only if it attacks the US first. But this is not an attack, at least in their perspective, so any US retaliation will prompt China to intervene. This is just an opinion from a newspaper, not the official statement from China, so it is not confirmed yet. But I will assume that it is safe to say China will come to help North Korea. They have interests in North Korea continue to being pro-China.

Click to expand...

This is a possibility, and if it happens, I think our best course of action would be to horse laugh in their face and do the same thing to them only better. We got ICBMs, pop the nukes off and fire 50-60 of them at both shorelines just outside of jurisdictional waters. Then surface a few submarines in their backyard do a few drills. Move in a carrier group and do some air drills. Find an uninhabited island and invite the Chinese press to come and observe invasion drills.

Heck we could do a trick shot with a couple of them, send one up into space and have it come down and hit another deflecting it just short of their territory. All the while the Navy could blast Can't touch this over the radio for them to hear. That would be cool.

In the same vein of it's not actually a direct attack, China shouldn't interfere and it would really embarrass NK.

Secondly, Kim Jong Un has already promised his people nationwide on their state news media. If he backs down now, there will be a significant dent in his reputation in the country. However, knowing what it is like in North Korea, they might be able to call off the launch and lie to their own people that they did fire the missile. How feasible is that, I do not know because I am not an expert on propaganda.

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He promises them a lot of things like prosperity, food, and warmth in the winter. What's one more thing they probably are scared to death of anyway.

Now here's what I am unsure of: What is in it for the DPRK to fire four missiles to off the coast of Guam? Is it really to just embarrass America? Is it really worth all these tension and sanctions? I have a couple of opinions regarding this, but not good enough to come to a conclusion.

If you don't think that North Korea is not going to fire their missiles, please offer your opinions too.

Click to expand...

To us? No, it's not worth it. But we are the ones on top looking down, they are on the bottom looking up for any kind edge.

Extra Question:
- Is it legal to fire ballistic missiles over the airspace of other country without permission? In this case, it is going to be Japan.

Click to expand...

I would imagine it violates Japan's airspace, and that is illegal by international law. Although I'm no expert.

Kim is a god in his country. As soon as he fires on Guam that deified life will be over. He isn't going to fire on Guam. Now, if we preemptively strike NK then I could see him taking as many people with him as possible.