Though impoverished and starved, North Korea owns nuclear arms and is developing long-range ballistic missiles, thus posing a growing military threat to the Asia-Pacific region.
As the regime of Kim Jong Il has invited sanctions from the international community, it is becoming even more isolated. Under the circumstances, North Korea's national goal, the survival of the Kim regime, may be at risk.
Ever since the issuance of joint statement a year ago from the six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions, North Korea has boycotted resumption of the talks in protest of U.S. financial sanctions. In July, North Korea conducted ballistic-missile tests, prompting the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution of condemnation. North Korea's brinkmanship is bound to bring increasing pressure from Japan, the United States and other nations.