Word: pyongyang
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...short jaunt - only 30 meters, in fact. But when South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun, on his way to Pyongyang to meet with North Korea's Kim Jong Il, got out of his limousine on Tuesday to walk across the line dividing the two countries, he became the first leader from either side to traverse the cold war's last frontier on foot. In marking the occasion, Roh sounded not a little like Ronald Reagan exhorting the Soviets in Berlin 20 years ago: "This line will be gradually erased," he said, "and the wall will fall...
...instead: North Korea agreed to disable its flagship nuclear reactor, disclose all its nuclear facilities by year's end and allow U.S. inspectors to make sure the job was done. In return, Washington agreed to consider taking North Korea off its list of countries that sponsor terrorism, one of Pyongyang's key demands. "It's certainly good news," says Ralph Cossa, president of the Pacific Forum CSIS, a Honolulu-based think tank. "If by the end of December the three facilities at Yongbyon are disabled to the point that it would take a year or two or three...
...particularly surprised by the latest disagreement. On Sept. 2, the U.S. announced that a weekend of direct talks had resulted in the North's commitment to account for and disable all facets of its nuclear program by the end of the year--the first time, it stressed, that Pyongyang had agreed to a specific timetable on full denuclearization. The North Koreans in turn announced how happy they were that the U.S. had agreed to take Pyongyang off its list of state sponsors of terrorism, something Kim has long sought. The only problem is that the U.S. later flatly denied that...
...soon after Hill claimed victory, the North upped the ante, as it had in the case of the frozen bank assets. Kim Kae Gwan asserted that in his weekend talks with Hill, the U.S. had agreed to take Pyongyang off its annual list of state sponsors of terrorism. It's a goal the North has long sought, and not just for face-saving reasons: membership on the list, alongside nations such as Iran and Syria, denies North Korea access to economic benefits like low-interest World Bank loans. The February agreement had held out the possibility of such a deal...
...already getting some of the economic aid it was promised under the original agreement, so Kim may feel he has some room to pressure the U.S. over the terrorist sponsorship list. And the U.S.'s ability to push back may be limited. Much of the fuel and food aid Pyongyang is now getting comes from South Korea and China. South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun has no incentive to anger Kim now that the two have agreed to a summit in Pyongyang in October. And the Chinese, in this their glorious Olympic year, have already pocketed the idea that...