Beating Kim at His Own Game

President Obama is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Wednesday for a summit meeting with President Lee Myung-bak. No doubt, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program will play a major role in the forthcoming negotiations. It is noteworthy that Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. envoy to North Korea, will fly to Pyongyang soon.

So, in all probability, the long-awaited direct talks between the United States and North Korea — the first official contacts since the second nuclear test in May — are going to start in the near future. This is good, especially since this time the Americans are coming to the table with a more realistic understanding of the North’s strategies and goals.