What is the best way for the U.S. government to send this clear message to North Korea?
Some South Koreans hope that the two presidents should meet. The people of South Korea should not hold their breath and wait until President Bush goes to Pyongyang. They would turn blue in the face before that happens. But there are many ways to convey a message to the leadership of North Korea. If the North Koreans permit the six party talks to resume, Ambassador Hill can convey a clear message there. The Bush administration has not opposed bilateral meetings in the six party context. In the fall, there was some interest in Hill going to Pyongyang and there was some speculation that if he went perhaps he would be given a meeting with President Kim Jong Il. That didn’t happen, partly because the U.S. side put forward a precondition for the visit that was unacceptable to the North Korean side. I think it was wrong to have a precondition that in effect blocked the visit from taking place. So, you think that the most likely outcome is a continuation of the status quo, or a nuclear-armed N
