When you consider the possibility of war with North Korea, you'll find that there isn't any way that kind of conflict wouldn't end without widespread mayhem. The worst case scenario would include a protracted ground war on the densely populated Korean peninsula, involving millions of combatants and the addition of chemical and nuclear weapons.

The absolute best case scenario, would probably involve the swift decapitation of the North Korean regime. But that could still result in millions of refugees fleeing from North Korea, and into the South and China. It could also cause a power vacuum, where opportunistic elements in the North Korean government could vie for control of the country, leading to a bloody civil war.

And in any scenario there is the possibility that China will come to the aid of its neighbor, which could be the first step towards another World War. There simply isn't any way to remove the North Korean regime by force that doesn't create a mess of mind boggling proportions, and result in massive casualties. That's why it's not a big surprise that the Kim family has maintained control of their country for so long.