South Korean Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun, second right in front row, and his North Korean counterpart Kim Ryong Song, right in front row, during their visit to the

Manudae Creative Arts Centre at Pyongyang, North Korea. North and South Korea resumed high-level talks on Monday (photo: AP)

The fire next time

IN AN attempt to diffuse tensions between his country and the United States, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has bent over backwards to comply with the Bush administration's demands. Earlier this week, Kim reportedly agreed to allow international inspections of his country's nuclear facilities. However, in retrospect it seems that Kim might have saved face by holding out longer. Although US President George W Bush initially made some vociferous noises about placing North Korea on his notorious "axis of evil" owing to its "nuclear threat" to the "free world", he seems to have lost interest for the time being. Unlike the administration's aggressive warmongering in the case of Iraq, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is getting the soft glove treatment. Although the US government was recently informed that the DPRK allegedly beefed up its nuclear programme (in 1994 the DPRK signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), the Bush team kept a tight lid on the news for at least 12 days. Rather than charge ahead on the war path, as with Iraq, the US toned down its rhetoric, calling on Pyongyang to adhere to the agreement it had signed.

In a tone more reminiscent of the EU preaching conflict resolution, the State Department announced that Under Secretary of State John Bolton and Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly will be travelling to the region for talks. "We seek a peaceful resolution of this situation. Everyone in the region has a stake in this issue," the US State Department announced. Judging from this tone, the Bush team has no interest in launching a war on two fronts. After all, Iraq holds 10 per cent of the world's oil reserves. The DPRK can wait for the next round.