North Korea's Asian Charm Offensive

If a string of diplomatic visits is any indication, North Korea and a number of countries in Southeast Asia are working to rekindle the flames of old alliances.

This month, North Korea Workers' Party secretary Kim Yong-il is touring Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. In May, Kim Yong-nam, North Korea's second highest-ranking official, traveled to Indonesia and Singapore. Like so much of what North Korea does on the international stage, this is all a bit ambiguous and could be all for show.