Japan or South Korea aren't really in a position to do much. To start militarily, Japan isn't up to snuff to deal with a country like NK. Japan's military stands more as a defensive measure due to "historical" circumstances. This can be seen by their militaries very name, Japan Self-Defense Forces. This is there operation protocol
Japan's Basic Policy for National Defense stipulates the following policies:[7]
1. Maintaining an exclusive defense oriented policy.
2. To avoid becoming a major military power that might pose a threat to the world.
3. Refraining from the development of nuclear weapons, and to refuse to allow nuclear weapons inside Japanese territory.
4. Ensuring civilian control of the military.
5. Maintaining security arrangements with the United States.
6. Building up defensive capabilities within moderate limits.
Furthermore, they have constitutional issues when dealing with threats.
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The Japanese military is severely limited by Article 9 of the Japanese constitution which states: "The Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes" and that "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained." The exact limits of Article 9 is a controversial issue in Japan, but it has been interpreted as allowing for self-defense forces. Thus the JSDF has a very limited oversea capability, lacks long range offensive capabilities like long range Surface-to-surface missiles, air-refueling (as of 2004), Marines or amphibious units, large caches of ammunitions, or ROE (Rules of Engagement).
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Self-Defense_Forces
As such Japan has no military lift capacity, and extremely limited offensive strike capabilities. They have defense compacts with us in the states, we have just shy of 50,000 troops there. Therefore it seems Japan's only chance at addressing this system is either economic, which means dick when it comes to a dejected leper nation like NK, or diplomatic which is the dance we have been doing with those North Korean assclowns for 12+ years. North Korea has no lift capacity, but they could fight tough in a defensive capacity as they operate under a military first policy, they also maintain the worlds 4th largest standing army I believe.
There is also a problem with China insofar as the regional politics scene is concerned. China tends to push/nudge NK and they prop them up. The thing is a fucked up nutjob country in NK is good for China, it keeps the rest of the legit countries on tilt in dealing with them. China controls the leash and they will keep the status quo because an un-unified Korean province can't challenge them; they are the reason that NK hasn't gone completely under.