Back to the DPRK

At the beginning of the semester, I posted about North Korea and its "nuclear program." The point that I was making was that North Korea is just using the threat of developing nuclear weapons to get what it wants, i.e. aid, a seat at the table, more regional influence. But, also that NK wouldn't actually use nuclear weapons against Japan or South Korea, because it would be suicide and therefore highly irrational to do. I think that the recent development in the North Korea talks show this to be the case. The New York Times and The Washington Post have stories covering this development. I still think my hypothesis remains true...and Stephen Walt at Harvard agrees with me in the current issue of Foreign Affairs page 4 (online). (If you aren't on campus, it's Foreign Affairs Sept/Oct 2005, p. 115.)