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North Korea food and nukes: 5 key questions

North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong-un, is accusing the United States of politicizing food aid by linking it to a long-standing demand that North Korea halt its nuclear program.

5. Where does Kim Jong-un stand?

  • By Whitney Eulich Staff writer

This year marks the 100th anniversary of North Korea’s founding leader’s birth, Kim Il-sung. Pressure now falls on new leader Kim Jong-un to deliver enough food to the country’s 24 million hungry people for the upcoming centennial celebration.
On Dec. 17, 2011, only days before his father Kim Jong-il’s death, US and North Korean negotiators met in Beijing to discuss food aid to the largely isolated country.
North Korea acknowledged food shortages as a “burning issue” in its New Year’s policy statement this year, however, emphasized Kim Jong-un would closely follow his father’s military-first policy.
 
Some observers fear North Korea may try to garner support for their new leader with a nuclear or missile test, reports the Associated Press.  However, the country’s perceived willingness to re-open discussions on food for nuclear suspension could signal a new era of diplomacy.

"The North is saying it is willing to go ahead with nuclear steps if it gets the food aid it wants," said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea professor at Seoul's Dongguk University. "The North is telling the United States to provide a goodwill gesture. If Washington doesn't, Pyongyang is threatening it will go down its own path," reports AP.

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Mark Sappenfield
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