The San Jose Mercury News has published a portfolio of editorial cartoons on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 which satirize the continuing and escalating threats made by North Korea's 30-year-old leader Kim Jong-un.

Other media sources, including PRI's The World, The Guardian, and National Public Radio (NPR) have also weighed in with their own examples which depict the boyish-looking despot in various unflattering drawings. Unlike news reports and commentary, cartoons have an immediate visceral impact which transcend written language and can be universally understood.

North Korea invaded their neighbor to the south and fought them during the more than 3-year-long Korean War from 1950 to 1953. The United States, together with military forces from the United Nations, the U.K., and South Korea, battled against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), who were aided by China and the Soviet Union.

In that conflict, which was considered a military action in the U.S. and not a declared war, South Korea and those fighting with it had a total of 972,214 killed or wounded. North Korea and its communist supporters had 1,642,600 casualties, a total killed or wounded.

The nearly 60-year armistice which followed the end of hostilities has been an uneasy peace. About 100,000 North Koreans were executed in purges after the cease fire agreement. The north has also been involved in numerous attacks against South Korea including the March 26, 2010 sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, killing 46 sailors, and the November 23, 2010 attack in which the North shelled Yeonpyeong island, killing 4 South Koreans.

The North Korean Army has a total of 1.1 million soldiers on active duty and is ranked fifth in the world, with another 8.2 million personnel in reserve, and a budget of $10 billion dollars, or 25% of North Korea's gross national product.

As a result of sanctions against the North, there have been chronic shortages of food and raw materials. Forests have been cut down and trees uses as firewood. Civilians have been known to eat tree bark and soft roots. Malnutrition has accounted for high rates of infant mortality. Anthropologists claim that the average North Korean is at least 2-inches shorter than comparable citizens in the South.

It is unclear why Kim Jong-un, who assumed power on December 17, 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, has chosen to escalate threats at this time against the U.S., South Korea, Japan, and other countries in the region. It is true that he is the world's youngest head of state with control over an arsenal of conventional and nuclear weapons.

In a full scale war, the U.S. and its supporters would prevail against the North, but the casualties would be enormous, both in lives and treasure. It would also be equivalent to committing suicide for the North Korean leader. With those facts apparent, it is easy to understand why editorial cartoonists are having a field day.