North Korea sent a clear signal that it might be pursuing a different direction in its relationship with the United States under new ruler Kim Jong-Un. The isolated communist nation announced on Wednesday that it will cease conducting tests of long-range missiles and nuclear missiles and suspend its uranium enrichment program. In exchange, U.S. leaders have agreed to send a massive aid package consisting 240,000 metric tons of food.
The deal comes two months after longtime ruler Kim Jong Il died from a heart attack and his youngest son succeeded him as ruler. It offers evidence that North Korea might be willing to return to the negotiating table and resume talks aimed at putting an end to its pursuit to become the world’s next nuclear power.
North Korea does find itself in a more vulnerable position without Kim Jong Il at the helm. The nation suffered from a famine in the 1990s and widespread food shortages continue to afflict North Korea into the 21st century. Even as recently as a year ago, North Korean leaders appealed to U.S. leaders to send large amounts of food aid to the starving populace.
There is some concern from U.S. government officials that this latest agreement could be a ploy by North Korean leaders to shore up food supplies before reverting back to their old ways.The State Department described the agreement as a limited step and said that the food aid would be heavily monitored to ensure it goes to the people who need it instead of the North Korean military.
An optimistic view of the situation indicates that North Korea is finally taking steps to break out of its isolationist policies and establish better relations with the United States and its allies. It has a long way to go before this can fully occur. North Korea and South Korea remain in a state of war ever since an armistice halted the Korean War in 1953. 30,000 U.S. troops are still stationed in South Korea to help protect the border between the two countries.
Still, North Korea does have a track record of backing out of similar agreements in the past and embracing the isolationist status quo. The country’s leaders have used the nuclear program from time to time as leverage for gaining favorable concessions. Whether this actually represents genuine progress from North Korea or a repeat chapter of the same old story remains to be seen. Given how strongly the nation embraces the legacies and policies of its past two dictators, there is little hope that true change will come to North Korea any time in the near future.