Nuclear accord drafted during negotiations

Bloomberg.com reports that negotiators from the U.S., North Korea, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia have drawn up the preliminary framework for dismantling North Korea's nuclear program during talks this morning. Under the resolution, North Korea will "shut down its [5-megawatt] Yongbyon nuclear reactor and allow inspectors into the country" in exchange for annual shipments of fuel oil (though, allegedly, the DPRK is demanding four times the amount that was originally offered to them).

Christopher Hill, the chief U.S. negotiator, has said the proposal will go into effect "a month from now" and the DPRK will then have 60 days to comply.

Has crisis been averted? Don't set your Doomsday Clock back just yet; there's still some speculation as to whether North Korea's nuclear program will be irreversibly terminated or simply "put on hold," so to speak, and ready for reoperation at a moment's notice.

A hare-brained scheme

Craig Whitlock of The Washington Post reports that DPRK officials have been seeking a strange solution to the ongoing famine that has left as many as two million North Koreans dead in the last 10 years*.

What bright idea are they working on? Monstrous rabbits, of course. A German breeder has recently sold his consulting services and six very large lagomorphs--one of which weighed over 23 pounds--to DPRK patrons in hopes of finding a plentiful source of food.

It's doubtful whether the rabbit solution will work, as the corpulent critters must be constantly fed hay and vegetables in order to grow so large.

I, for one, hope the North Koreans know what they're getting themselves into.

The power of the dark side

Here's an interesting photo of East Asia at night. The lack of light in the DPRK is striking; while much of Japan, China and South Korea are aglow, the Northern part of the Korean peninsula is marked only by the faint blip of Pyongyang.

North Korea's friendliest export

The Seoul Times just ran a piece on one of North Korea's friendlier exports: animation.

According to the article, the state-run animation firm SEK Studios is an important source of both revenue and technology for the DPRK government. In addition to their own productions, SEK Studios has been contracted by movie makers outside the country, including the South Korean KOAA Films and the U.S. mega-corp Disney.

Although the North Korean animators are said to be quite skilled, it is unlikely that they will produce any original masterpieces.

"North Koreans are very good at doing what they are told but they have problems in using creativity," remarked Kim Jong-Se, marketing director of the South Korea-based Iconix Entertainment.

Who knew communism would hamper creativity?

Chief U.S. negotiator calls for DPRK to cease nuclear operations

USA Today reports that Christopher Hill, the chief U.S. negotiator to North Korea, has requested the nation freeze its current nuclear operations in exchange for 500,000 tons of oil.

"The DPRK must get out of the nuclear business entirely," Hill told reporters in Tokyo earlier today.

You may recall that North Korea withdrew from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 2003 after the U.S. halted fuel oil shipments to the nation one month prior (see related story). To this day, the DPRK is the only NPT signatory to have withdrawn from the agreement.

Japanese officials say they will not offer any energy assistance until North Korea releases the Japanese citizens it abducted in an attempt to learn about the island nation's language and culture (though North Korea alleges all those adbucted have been returned).

Experts also believe that the DPRK will demand more oil than the current U.S. offer would provide for.

Important people

Kim Jong-il:

Kim Jong-il has been North Korea's de facto dictator since his father's death in 1994. His official titles include Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea and General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party, among others. BBC News reports that he lives quite comfortably, boasting "a library of 20,000 Hollywood movies," a healthy appetite for wine and Hennessy, and daily shipments of fresh lobster and other delicacies.

Kim Il-sung:

Kim Il-sung is Jong-il's father and the founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1948). During his life, he held such titles as President, Prime Minister, and General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party. He currently holds the office of the Eternal President of the Republic of North Korea, despite his being deceased, and his birthday is celebrated as a national holiday.

Kim Yong-nam:

As the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Yong-nam is one third of the triumvirate that makes up the executive branch of the DPRK government (the other two positions being the Chairman of the National Defense Commission and the Premier).

Pak Pong-ju:

Pong-ju is the DPRK's Premier and the third part of the executive triumvirate.

A few definitions

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK):

North Korea's official name.

The Republic of Korea (ROK):

South Korea's official name.

The 38th Parallel:

The line of latitude that has (approximately) separated North and South Korea since the end of WWII. (Coincidentally, the 38th parallel also runs through my hometown of Manassas, VA.)

Military Demarcation Line (MDL):

The actual border between North and South Korea, which runs more or less across the 38th Parallel. Also known as the Armistice or Ceasefire Line.

Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ):

A four kilometer-wide neutral zone along the MDL where military activity is forbidden. Landmines throughout the DMZ have further discouraged human presence, and as such, the area is known for its variety of wildlife.

Panmunjeom:

A village lying on the MDL where the 1953 Korean War armistice was negotiated and signed. (Panmunjeom was also mentioned in Billy Joel's rockin' 1989 song "We Didn't Start the Fire.")

Joint Security Area (JSA):

An area within Panmunjeom where negotiations between North and South Korea have taken place since 1953.