QandO

August 24, 2004

Meanwhile in North Korea
Posted by McQ

Kim Jung-Il, or at least North Korea, who does nothing without Kim's OK, is indeed for John Kerry.

"The North Koreans made it very clear, politely, that they want Mr. Kerry to win the election," said C. Kenneth Quinones, a former U.S. diplomat who was in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital this month for a Korean studies conference, said in a recent interview in Tokyo. "Nobody wants to move. North Koreans are going to play wait and see."

Consequently:

"The negotiating process is stalled," said Alexander Losy-ukov, who was Russia's negotiator at the talks until this spring and now is its ambassador to Japan, said in an interview last week. "It is clear they have just refused to participate in talks before the American presidential election. There are expectations in Pyongyang of a change in American policy. Probably they are wrong."

And North Korea's had some nice things to say about Bush as well:

North Korea called President Bush an "imbecile" and "a tyrant that puts Hitler into the shade" yesterday, unleashing a stream of insults that seemed to rule out any serious progress on nuclear disarmament talks before the American election this fall.

Apparently NoKo's characterization had to do with Bush aptly describing "Dear Leader" while on the campaign trail:

Yesterday's tirade appeared to have been set off by a campaign speech in Wisconsin last week by Bush, who referred to Kim Jong Il, North Korea's hereditary leader, as a "tyrant."

So at least one foreign leader and country have come out of the closet to back John Kerry. I wonder if he'll tout that endorsement on his website?

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