The death of Kim Jong-Il is not only an opportunity to reflect on the manifest crimes he committed against the people of North Korea, but also to consider just how heavily his devious regime now weighs in calculations about international security. The uncertain future of the Hermit Kingdom is a matter of especially grave importance to the five countries—the United States, China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea—that have intermittently engaged with it since 2003 in the Six-Party Talks. It’s not yet clear how these countries will respond to the ongoing succession crisis, but what’s impossible to deny is that, in the coming months, their actions—and the actions of the new leaders in Pyongyang—will resonate far beyond the Korean peninsula.
Read Full Article »
