U.S. Raid in Venezuela Could Push North Korea to Brink, Experts Warn

A recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela may have dangerously raised tensions on the other side of the world, in North Korea. Last week, U.S. special forces entered Venezuela and captured a senior executive of the state oil company. The U.S. called it an arrest for corruption. But analysts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will see it very differently. For Kim, the operation proves his long-held fear that America could use military force to remove a foreign leader. This is a core security concern for the isolated North Korean regime. Experts now warn that this fear could lead to a major miscalculation. Feeling more threatened, Kim might accelerate his nuclear weapons program or act more aggressively in a crisis. The goal would be to deter a similar U.S. action against him. However, such a move could accidentally trigger a conflict that no side wants. "The Venezuela raid confirms Kim's worst nightmare," said one security analyst. "When a regime believes its survival is at stake, the risk of catastrophic error grows."