I've always thought that Kim Jong X was a dictator who did not really believe his own propaganda; someone for whom the propaganda was a means to an end; someone who was rational enough to not do anything terminally stupid.

I am still not entirely convinced that this is not the case, but I am starting to have doubts. It almost seems like they are hell bent on escalating to a war. Now, I understand the need to rattle the old sabre. He has recently come into his power, and needs to show his underlings (and the army, lest they depose him) that he is a strong aggressive leader. I get that so far.

But he does seem to be escalating things rapidly.
The video with his dream of New York burning.
The missile launch.
The latest nuclear test.
And now the announcement that 'this is just the beginning.

It makes me wonder. He'll have to stop escalating pretty soon, or bad things will happen.
The current standoff will not end without either NK caving in, or seoul + millions of Koreans being turned to dust.
The first is unlikely, and the second would be a tragedy. I am not worried in the least about NK directly, but Seoul disappearing would be a tragedy by any measure, both in economic cost and number of lives.