North Korea extends olive branch to U.S. in New Year's message

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/74049-north-korea-extends-olive-branch-in-new-years-message


North Korea extends olive branch to U.S. in New Year's message
By Bridget Johnson - 01/01/10 09:35 AM ET


North Korea has given a sign that it may rejoin stalled international talks on its nuclear program in the regime's annual New Year's editorial published by the country's state-run Korean Central News Agency.

"The fundamental task for ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the rest of Asia is to put an end to the hostile relationship between the DPRK and the USA," the editorial said without elaborating.

The statement also shied away from the standard attacks against South Korea, and said that the North was committed to establishing "a lasting peace system" between the two countries and a "through dialogue and negotiations" reaching a nuclear-free status on the peninsula.

Obama administration envoy Stephen Bosworth visited North Korea last month, where the communist regime had indicated at least a willingness to consider returning to six-party talks.

"They have to make the fundamental decision and we did not leave the meeting today believing that they had crossed the threshold that we want to see them cross," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said at the time.

North Korea spent much of the statement stressing that it needed to improve its economy to move forward.

The New Year's message comes as the North has likely detained an American missionary for illeglly crossing into the country, a move that the Arizona man reportedly did on purpose.

[TexasObserver]

1. Recommend

[Parker CA]

2. K&R. Lots of little steps will eventually make a difference.

[stevenleser]

4. I hope so. One of the few things that the last few administrations agree on is that

the North Korean government and diplomats are experts at manipulating negotiations. I hope this statement isnt another manipulation.

[Lil Missy]

3. cheney must be apoplectic.

[vaberella]

5. Wow...this is amazing. I love my Pres. n/t

[Kdillard]

6. Good to see. Hopefully 2010 will bring about concrete steps.

[DrToast]

7. Hard to trust NK, but this is good news if legitimate

[Ikonoklast]

8. They must be getting hungry, closer to the top.

N. Korea always seems to get a shipment of food at the beginning of any talks, then they deliberately monkeywrench them after the ships are unloaded.

[davidpdx]

9. I'm cautiously optomistic

but hoping the North will finally come back to the table and bargin in good faith. There are a lot of reasons for all the countries involved to get this done. Stability in the region would help a lot and they desperately need the aid. My guess is Kim Jong Ill is on his last leg and we are seeing his son put out in front quite a bit more, which only confirms it. I've got my fingers crossed the son knocks off his uncle and older brother and gets full control and starts reforms.