HONOLULU -- "It's all South Korea's fault!" In a refreshing change from its natural tendency to blame Washington for all the world's troubles, Pyongyang has recently announced that it cannot proceed with the six-party talks over its clandestine nuclear-weapons programs since "the foundation for talks has been destroyed" as a result of Seoul's secret nuclear experiments.
The United States, of course, shares the blame, given its "double standards regarding the nuclear issue," but the primary blame has now apparently shifted from Washington to Seoul (conveniently bypassing Pyongyang, where the real problem continues to lie).
China has regrettably reinforced this argument by noting that the South's nuclear experiments have complicated the situation. In an attempt to get the talks back on track, Beijing has hinted that South Korea's nuclear transgressions could be discussed at the next round of talks; an idea that Seoul promptly (and I believe foolishly) rejected. Meanwhile, senior officials from all five of North Korea's interlocutors have called on Pyongyang to agree to another round of talks, even as many profess to see little prospect of success prior to the November U.S. presidential elections.