KJI raises the temperature sky high and then deflates it, it’s a classic case of manipulation.

Even I have no idea what I meant to come after the “or”?

“I truly believe that NK and KJI wants to be America?€™s friend. I truly believe that doesn?€™t mean much at a practical level.”

What does NK want in the friendship? Does it want friendship so it can cut back on its defense spending? If the US is a friend, will it shift forces off the DMZ, do away with much of its artillery systems, scrap development as well as exporting of missiles? Will it open the doors to American government officials and businessmen and tourists and the news media?

Does North Korea currently not do these things because it isn’t a friend with America?

If America plays nice, is North Korea really just chopping at the bit to become Switzerland?

This really makes no sense to me.

If there is nothing practicle involved in the idea of being friends, and I agree with Oranckay that there isn’t, then why talk about it?

I think it is a tactical distraction. I think the regime in North Korea sees that it gets play out of rhetoric like “end the hardline policy” and “America doesn’t want friendship” and such. Through well placed use of such phrases, it successfully gets influencial elements in the world, like the press and sometimes think tank people or politicians in South Korea, to focus on the words rather than anything practicle they are connected to (or not connected too).

It kind of works like this. Kim says he wants to be “America’s friend.” After so long recognizing the main line from North Korea is way over the top rhetoric about turning South Korea into a sea of fire and George Bush Jr. is the devil and America is the worst imperialistic bastard nation in the history of humanity, and such……some people in the public eye leap at the chance Kim means what he says —- after so much of the doom and gloom and war of words, a happy note rings true for some reason in the ear —- and some people want it to be true so much, they lose sight of the practicle application.

So, North Korea gets some of the pressure taking off of it. It can keep enough divide and conquer going not only between South Korea and the US, but elements within the US as well to some extent, it can keep the outsiders from agreeing on implimentation of sanctions or toughers against it.

I believe North Korea wants “friendship” with the US, if by friendship we mean a sharp change in the relationship to the US giving North Korea significant amounts of regime supporting material aid. If by friendship we mean instead of coordinating efforts to limit North Korea’s econmic gains with other nations (like the EU nations), the US starts actively pumping material aid into North Korea and encouraging others to do the same.

And if we mean by friendship that, in return, North Korea does virtually nothing. Except maybe cutting down to nothing the amount of anti-US rhetoric it puts out for international consumption.

Friendship with America, as defined by North Korea, will not include political or geopolitical reform. It will not include opening Korean society up to the outside world. I doubt very much it would even include any significant changes in North Korea’s military structure or military economy. And I don’t believe it would include a stop in missile development or exportation, nor include getting rid of the nuclear bombs it currently has or a stop in all forms of nuclear bomb making programs.

I truly believe that doesn’t mean much at a practical level.

Meanwhile:A lot of what Chung had been saying sounds bogus, and the ?€œthree secrets?€? BS clinches it. The guy is angling for the presidency and playing the public.

I’m not especially a Chung fan but that is not fair. It is not Chung who is going around running his head off. What he said to the public was very little and rather limited. He then reported the rest to Cheong Wa Dae, NSC, etc, as he should; thing is, everyone who has heard of what he reported in private is talking to the press about it, getting Chung accused of “playing the public.” MichaelMichael isn’t alone in doing so, of course, and it would be hard to keep up with the Chosun on something like that.