The last time I wrote about North Korea, Kim Jong Il was undergoing nuclear tests that affected Asia and had Japan, China, Russia, South Korea, and the United States wandering what to do with North Korea and its leader Kim Jong Il. There have been some positive changes if it could be said but it has yet to overcome the negativity of what has happened in North Korea. I can also say that there have been some incidents between North Korea and one of its neighbours that were never mentioned. Regardless, US Diplomacy is ineffective and is a folly.In February 2008, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra arrived in North Korea to perform a concert. The duration of the trip was for forty eight hours and while the concert appeared to have been a success, it is obvious that the people of North Korea are accustomed to listening to instrumental music. The concert was a success if it could result in the production of a Compact Disc Recording to sell to Classical Music Lovers all around the world but it cannot produce meaningful change in a country that has been isolated almost since the end of the Korean War.

North Korea even had turbulence in its relationships with China and Russia during the Cold War and at times was able to maintain relations with both countries for its convenience, as well as be the centre for diplomacy between Russia and China. If North Korea could prove to be a headache at times for Russia and China, imagine how US Diplomacy has done little or nothing. Imagine how little the United States knows about North Korea.

North Korea is a Communist Dictatorship that does not respect the rights of people to practice their religion except that of devotion to Kim IL Sung and Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong IL could care little about the people dying of starvation and has been more concerned with maintaining power at all costs. It is also not new that the people of North Korea wake up at 7:00AM to sirens, go to work and do reverence to every statue of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. The routine repeats itself during the day and night. The Television and Radio Sets are pre programmed only to hear and see North Korean Radio and Television [which in itself lasts three to four hours]. Only the privileged, the clean, the young, and healthy can live in Pyongyang. When people become old, they leave Pyongyang. Attempts to leave North Korea even by accident have resulted in executions or concentration camps with members of the whole family being involved.The people of North Korea have been used to this way of life since 1945. We are talking about sixty three years and almost four generations of people revering Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il as Gods, learning the thoughts of Juche, Kim Il Sung, and Kim Jong Il. We are also talking about a society that thinks South Korea invaded North Korea first. Even the calendar for North Korea has changed to start from the year of Kim Jong Il’s birth which is 1912. The year 1912 is Year Zero for North Korea. In the North Korean Calendar, the year is 96 with people celebrating the year 96 going to a «pilgrimage» in Pyongyang to celebrate the birth of Kim Il Sung. North Korean Commercials talk about «the mountains parting and the sun singing when Kim Jong Il was born» and changed the Nativity Scene to make it look like «Kim Jong Il was the chosen one». I saw on my computer a scene from North Korean Television in which Kindergarten Children sang «the praises of Kim Jong Il» and North Korean Female Teenager praising Kim Jong Il while parading through the streets of Pyongyang, North Korea. Believe me; watching the videos so that I could write about US Diplomacy in North Korea was pure torture.North Korea is a country that once kidnapped Japanese Nationals and a Swedish National for the purpose of either teaching spy tactics or their cultures to North Korean Military Forces or for sexual purposes. Kim Jong Il once even ordered the kidnapping of a South Korean Soap Opera Star and her husband for his «film industry». A person like Kim Jong Il cannot be trusted. Russia and China have even learned this the hard way and have dealt with Kim Jong Il like a stern uncle deals with an errant nephew. I will give you an example with the recent crisis between Russia and North Korea.Russia once suffered from the after effects of an occasional problem with North Korea when [according to reports from NTV [Russian Television], the Vladivostok Maritime Rescue Centre and the BBC], North Korea detained the Russian Ship the Lidya Demesh on the 23rd of February 2008. The Lidya Demesh was carrying a cargo of cars from the port of Hamata in Japan when it encountered strong winds in the East Sea [Sea of Japan]. The Lidya Demesh was forced by strong winds to enter North Korean Territorial Waters near Cape Masudan where a Patrol Boat was waiting to force the ship to land in Chongjin, North Korea. During the next four days, intense negotiations began between North Korea and Russia concerning the boat and the twenty five member crew members. One of the Russian Officials involved in the negotiations was the General Consul in Chongjin Yevgeny Valkovich. After four days of negotiation, North Korea released the boat and the passengers to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. I cannot say what may have transpired except that Russia threatened to cut off aid to North Korea. Kim Jong Il must have understood that threat since China once threatened [it has yet to be proven] to cut off aid to Kim Jong Il for the missile testing of a couple of years ago. The USA has no proven way for diplomacy [the truth must be repeated] in North Korea except to be convinced by Japan [who wants a meeting of minds] to enact this meeting of minds between Japan, the United States, North Korea, South Korea, China, and Russia with the intention of telling Russia and China that North Korea can no longer be sustained. North Korea will have to learn how to go on its own or perish. North Korea could still sustain itself like Albania did after it broke with China in 1978. After all, isolation is a dictatorship’s best friend. North Korea can also be sustained by its devoted followers in the Korean Friendship Associations in the West who must have the money to spend on buying souvenirs from its ally. Hay, Kalb, and Associates [haykalb.com] is a British Law Firm in Pyongyang that can also sustain North Korea without the need for Russia and China. This is the only way the United States can deal with North Korea.It is difficult for China and Russia to abandon North Korea since it has been an old ally. It is also difficulty taking into account that Kim Jong Il has a business in Dandong, China and has another business in the internet where he accepts Pay Pal, Visa, Master Card, American Express, and other credit cards for those who love to buy North Korean Products. It is also difficult for China and Russia to abandon North Korea taking into account the fear that North Korea could explode simultaneously forcing refugees into South Korea, China, and Russia.Regardless, United States diplomacy must be focused on this meeting of minds in which North Korea must learn to survive on its own two feet, or with the financial support of those who like such a sick regime that they would spend their hard earned money on buying from it. After all, Castro survived the cut off of Russian Aid by selling Cuban Products via Third Countries and remittances from people in America. In other words, US Diplomacy should be based on the premise that North Korea should learn to swim or sink; survive or perish.REFERENCE:
BBC News: «NY Philharmonic in North Korea»
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7262409.st m
Assessed on the 18th of March 2008Westcott, Catherine; BBC News: «From ping pong to Pyongyang»
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7255407.stm
Assessed on the 18th of March 2008BBC News: «North Korea detains Russian ship»
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7260534.st m
Assessed on the 18th of March 2008New Kerala.com: «North Korea releases seized Russian cargo ship»
http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&i d=27488
Assessed on the 18th of March 2008Press TV: «North Korea Frees Cargo Ships»
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=44917§ionid=3510 20602 – 69k
Assessed on the 18th of March 2008