It is a sad day when a South Korean government nuclear envoy is more of a hardliner against North Korea than the United States own State Department:

South Korea’s top nuclear envoy said Wednesday he believes North Korea is responsible for coming clean on a suspected uranium enrichment program (UEP), which sparked off the current ongoing nuclear crisis.

"I believe the responsibility to show evidence on UEP is on North Korea," Chun Young-woo said in a joint news conference with local and foreign news media.

"What we demand from the North is that it should give a full account - whether the account is about past equipment, materials, technology and purchasing activities related with UEP or about all suspicions that have been raised, or whether it is an activity that the North stopped doing or continues to do," the envoy said. [Yonhap]

So when is our State Department going to start making so demands or is the charade going to continue?

Meanwhile an ex-South Korean government official has come out and admitted what everyone is thinking:

Seoul National University professor Yoon Young-kwan, the first foreign minister in the Roh Moo-hyun administration, on Tuesday speculated North Korea is hoping to delay its declaration of nuclear programs and stockpiles until a new U.S. administration takes office. The North missed a Dec. 31 deadline to hand over the declaration as agreed in six-nation talks. “I suspect that North Korea will attempt to strike a deal with the new U.S. administration that will be inaugurated next year. In that case, it seems likely that there will be no progress in the North Korean nuclear issue until summer next year, Yoon said.  [Chosun Ilbo]

Is it really surprising that North Korea would try this tactic?  It worked before and it will assuredly work again especially with a leading presidential contender vowing to fly to Pyongyang and declare peace on Earth with Kim Jong-il.  Sadly this is probably what the Bush administration is hoping to have happen as well; pass the buck on the North Korean issue to the next administration just like the prior administration did to them. Folks these are the penalties for non-compliance. 

Where is Bill Richardson when you need him?

Popularity: 2%