If North Korea decided to actually attack the United States, what would happen?

Honestly, if that ever really went down, it would be a total disaster for everyone involved. North Korea knows perfectly well that launching an actual strike against the U.S. would be the equivalent of hitting a self-destruct button on their whole regime. Their military tech has improved over the years, sure, but it's not anywhere near the level needed to actually survive a full-scale retaliation from the U.S. and its allies in the region.

Most likely, the U.S. missile defense systems would intercept a good chunk of what they threw our way. We’ve been upgrading our interceptors for ages, and there’s a whole network of ships and ground batteries ready for exactly this kind of nightmare scenario. Even if one or two missiles managed to get through, the counter-strike would be so massive that the North Korean leadership wouldn't have a place left to hide. It would basically be over for them in a matter of hours.

It’s just saber-rattling at the end of the day. They use these threats to keep their own people in line and to get some leverage in international talks. I’ve been following these standoffs since I was a teenager, and it's always the same cycle of threats followed by a tense standoff. Nobody actually wants a war because everyone knows the aftermath would be absolutely brutal for the entire globe, not just for the countries directly fighting.