The gap between what the U.S. requires and what North Korean leadership is able to do without destabilizing itself was too wide even before the 09 October nuclear test.

North Korea, which had refused to return to the Six-Party Talks until the U.S. lifted financial sanctions imposed for its counterfeiting activities, now says it will return to those talks in order to get those sanctions lifted. This may at least partially the result of pressure from China. Japan and South Korea are stating that the talks, “must produce progress.” Or else what? Hans ‘Brix’ knows.

To be politically and diplomatically correct, the Bush administration must welcome North Korea coming back to the negotiation table, and while Christopher Hill is no doubt the best man for the job, the saying that “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink” once again comes to mind.

North Korea had the 1994 Agreed Framework (PDF), as well as last years 19 September Joint Statement (DOC) that among other things:

The United States affirmed that it has no nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula and has no intention to attack or invade the DPRK with nuclear or conventional weapons.

Aside from that unambiguous security guarantee, North Korea has been offered – but has squandered or rejected - free nuclear reactors (KEDO), fuel oil (U.S.), food aid (UN), and electricity (South Korea). A few simple promises related to missile proliferation and handing over abducted Japanese would have yielded a windfall of the likes North Korea has never seen, in the form of colonial reparations from Japan.

But North Korea has consistently rejected the good faith measures that would have brought the nation the above benefits, instead starving its population and engaging in nuclear proliferation. The fact is, North Korea has never made any concessions that were not easily reversible, from IAEA inspections, to a few special economic zones (now miserable failed).

U.S. policy makers need to realize that the North Korean government cannot and will not ever engage genuinely.

It’s far past time to admit that negotiations will yield nothing, and that we should move with an unambiguous policy of regime strangulation. Part of that policy should be to apply whatever pressure necessary on China to align it with that goal.

That’s what should be done; I know it won’t. But talks will not yield any useful outcome as long as Kim Jong-il rules North Korea.