dr. lavoy, can you elaborate on what the consequences you think will be of the missile launch if north korea goes through with it, and i assume that they will, and they have nevada been ones to be responsive to any international pressure before, hard to imagine this would be the first time. how do you see that playing out? how will south korea, japan accident others in the region respond and what should we do as a result? >> thank you for that he request ranking member smith. we're concerned about the possibility of a missile launch that the north korea announced they would indeed conduct and a number of countries in the area in a broader area in fact are concerned about this. the north koreans indicate they will launch the miss nel a southward direction, and i don't know if we have any confidence on the stability of the missile or where the actual impact will be. a number of countries are potentially affected. this could fall on the debris could fall on their countries, cause casualties, and t

dr. lavoy on any policy issues in regard to that. >> i could add to that, congressman. north korea is an author tear an regime, of course, and has political successions that are extraordinarily difficult when you don't have a representative government which is the case there of course. so what we're seeing now and what we anticipate is provocative behavior because unfortunately this seems to be the only way that the north korean regime can try to demonstrate its bona fides to a population suffering terribly. they can't meet the needs of the population, the nutritional or other educational or other needs of the population, so they resort to provocative behavior. despite efforts to stabilize relations with the north and to deest ka late tensions on the peninsula following the very dangerous activities in the past, now once again because of an internal political dynamic of north korea, it appears that they're once again inclined to take these provocative steps, most specifically the announced miss

dr. lavoy, my simple question is -- you do -- do you ever see an end to this extortion that's coming out of north korea? >> well, we hopefully see an end to that and we are doing everything possible to do this. but it's a real cal is i trant regime. -- calsitrant regime. it leads them to this provocative international behavior. and probably when they can only reform internally can they get international behavior to align to acceptable standards. >> but does there come a time when our perceived benevolence when they translate into weakness must be ended in order for us to stop this crazy international extortion because that's how i see it. i am just a simple guy from the inner city of georgia and that's how we see it. >> congressman, i don't see you as a simple guy. i don't see our approach as benevolent or weak at all. >> they see it as weak. >> i don't see it. >> there are quotes coming out of dprk saying so. duck tailing off i my colleague. do you believe that the incredible debt situation, w