"You'll see."

"This House Would Pay Mercenaries to Assassinate Kim Jong-un."

Right then. We are herein talking about a reasonable transaction - one life for potentially millions. Eliminate the main threat, the man with the big red button of mass destruction, and gain a chance to resolve the escalating situation relatively peacefully. It is not unlike what happened in South America a few decades ago when Americans decided to put people they've chosen to lead other countries. Fair enough, that blew up in their faces, but that doesn't have to be the case here. Oppressors tend to have a small detail going against them - loyalty. Their subordinates do what they are told usually because of fear. They have everything to lose if they were to disobey, and quite a bit to gain by remaining on their leader's good side.

The implication of which is that, in the case where the leader were to suddenly stop breathing, most likely oppression would decrease. There is always a slight chance of the leader becoming a martyr and someone will simply assume his position. But there is also a pretty good probability that the successor might want to preserve their life and reopen negotiations - otherwise he risks becoming the next victim. Thus by removing the head of the 'serpent', one has a rather good change of making significant improvements to the current situation.

Naturally, such an action has the possibility that the successor is not so 'enlightened'. Retaliation for the ruthless murder of a respected leader is something we would like to avoid. Then again, it is probable that the retaliation is of the same nature as the potential assault ordered by Kim, in which case the situation cannot become any worse, only better. So it is really picking between two evils - Kim attacking or his successor potentially attacking. Looks like a slam dunk, nothing to lose, everything to win... but is it?

We do not know who would be the successor, which is why we don't know what he would do once in power. He would be unpredictable, his strategy would merit the element of surprise. Having a more competent aggressor opposing us would be worse than the 'Devil we know'. It could happen, it might not.

 "I did what I did because all life is sacred. But when the object of your actions does not share that belief...I fear I have served the present by sacrificing the future."