Another deadline for North Korea has been announced that we all know they will never meet:

South Korea’s Foreign Minister outlined a 2010 goal for the full dismantlement of North Korea’s nuclear program.

The South Korean Foreign Minister outlined a roadmap to North Korean denuclearization setting a target date 2010 and an end to the second phase of the six-party negotiations with the communist North no later than March, the Yonhap News Agency reported Sunday.

North Korea missed a Dec. 31 deadline to complete the second phase of disabling its plutonium production facilities in compliance with a deal with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States.

Pyongyang said it met its transparency obligations and blames its negotiation partners for failing to deliver on promised aid packages.

U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill told North Korea to finish its declaration of its nuclear program by Feb. 25, but noted, "There is no reason why we cannot finish the job in ‘08."  [UPI]

Is it just me or is are the North Korean nuclear talks strangely similar to USFK transformation and war time control talks with South Korea?  It is a constant delay game with the United States continuously giving in to unreasonable demands.  So who is betting on a nuclear free North Korea in 2010?  I think you have better odds of seeing Lee Myung-bak’s canal completed before North Korea ever denuclearizes. 

You can read more about missed deadlines over at One Free Korea as well.

Popularity: 2%