I thought the Kang Nam I was being used as something to test the response of the Obama administration, the Chosun Ilbo on the other hand thinks it was some kind of trap:

Meanwhile, the New York Times, calling the Kangnam’s journey “the Cruise to Nowhere,” on Wednesday said there are calls within the White House to approach the ship with caution. White House officials are starting to believe that it may be out on “a fishing expedition” ordered by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il “in hopes that the new American president will be his first catch.”

One high-ranking official in the Barack Obama administration said officials were cautious of the risks of the contents of the boat turning out to be sea bass, or ping-pong balls, following heightened tensions with the U.S. government as it seeks cooperation from various countries in searching the ship. “Members of Mr. Obama’s team who served in the Clinton administration remember past embarrassments, including the interception of a Chinese ship suspected of carrying chemical precursors in the early 1990s. When the ship was finally cornered, the cargo turned out to be benign,” the NYT said.

Officials ranging from Vice President Joe Biden to the deputy secretary of state, James Steinberg, have cautioned the administration to go slow lest the U.S. fall into North Korea’s trap.  [Chosun Ilbo]