I guess this declaration is primarily meant to elevate Kim in the eyes of his countrymen and possibly the only way left to hit back against the sanctions.

However, as everybody knows, if they press the button first, they are the ones whos gonna lose. What would happen to the extravagant lifestyles of military officials and bureaucrats that they have been enjoying at the cost of the common man? Do they really have the money to go into war? I guess they understand that any first strike on the US base would finally end with a devastated NK.