EXPERT COMMENT
Pyongyang has real importance in an emerging anti-Western alliance - and will likely grow more aggressive this year.
Recent rhetoric from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un strongly suggests that his country will adopt a more aggressive foreign policy this year. Kim began the new year by warning South Korea and the US of his country's readiness for war and threatened to use nuclear weapons in the event.
Although direct war on the Korean Peninsula looks unlikely this year, it would be wrong to dismiss Kim's words entirely. North Korean provocations towards South Korea and the US will probably escalate beyond previous years - especially given the US presidential election in November - and Kim will wish to emphasize North Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state.
Crucially for the West, Pyongyang's relations with Moscow and Beijing are also likely to strengthen, with far-reaching implications on regional and global stability.
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