N Korea calls for end of hostile relations with U.S.

Must be looking for some New Years face time cuz the US admin is doing the right thing,which is ignoring them except for some meaningless letter.A few missiles flung into the sea near Japan aint gonna do jack.

This would be good if true, but more likely just a trial balloon for Obama.

The NK govt steals from its own people by devaluing their cash all in the name of making a prosperous nation and THEN expects them to unite around the dear leader? Huh? Lets hope they unite against him soon and rid the world of this communist dinosaur.

North-Korea, welcome to 21th century. Put your dear Kim Jong Il in a retirement house. I don't know ...something nice, with a golf course, in case if he wants to throw something into the sky... Then, start living like the rest of the world. The truth is your country is in such a miserable condition now that you have to kidnap people to invade you. So open up, see the world and join us some day to party in Tsuruhashi in 2010 !

Yeah, I know they can't read me...

Exactly harmoneeikaiwa - need to fire off a good sized nuke to get any attention.

And　lets understand the real meaning of NK speak。

North Korea called for an end of hostile relations with the United States and renewed its commitment to a nuclear-free Korean peninsula in a New Year’s message Friday.

translation...

NK wants more attention and aid from the US while never giving up anything, least alone its weapons of mass destruction.

Encouraging New Year message form NK : "The ball's in your court !" Also, No mention of Nippon means NK is not interested in confrontation.

I absolutely can not believe the arrogance of North Korea maintaining that it has a right to defend itself and maintain and develop its defense. I also think that for NK to make a statement that the US is an aggressor and fears that it may be attacked is completely unfounded.

The US has not such track record of of unilaterally attacking countries for their own political advantage. Except for a few places such as puerto rico, cuba, hawaii, philippines, mexico, iraq, afghanistan, vietnam....

If the US wants NK to mothball its weapons program, it should pony up and buy it. And not for 2 ships of oil and a half dozen ships of food. A countries sovereignty ought to be worth a bit more I would imagine? Maybe NK would take Japan and the US attempts at negotiation seriously if they put something real on the table.

North Korea seriously has a warped view on the world.

Can't wait for this ,start of relations, between North Korea and Obama administration.

North Korea quit the disarmament talks last year in anger over international criticism of a long-range rocket launch, which was denounced as a test of its missile technology. The regime then conducted a nuclear test and test-fired a series of ballistic missiles.

The denunciation was over the launch of the satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 using the carrier rocket Unha-2.

Good that they didn't mention a certain useless nation (in terms of the six way talks). Let's hope NK means it and this is not just more talk.

"the impoverished country"

Whose fault is this?

"the impoverished country"

Whose fault is this?

Mother Nature or Father Kim Jong Il :)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/business/global/02korea.html

When you devalue the fiat money to 1/100 of what is was people that saved will have a harsh winter.

I still believe that NK was/is a victim of colonialism, but unlike Vietnam/SK/China (and the rest of Asia) they have not found a way out of their protective escape. =They are sort of endeared as a last of the "holdouts" by many even though their leader is a radical spender like Obama.

"the impoverished country"

Whose fault is this?

It's the fault of those who cannot avoid repeating the same superficial clichés over and over again.

sarge: "Whose fault is this?"

You seem to treat the issue as though the people of NK have a choice. Grow up beyond 20, my friend, and you'll understand a little better.

Under true socialism there is no choice = things are distributed as needed at a fixed price. Black market import activity in NK was getting too rampant = the gov came in to punish the traders by devalueing the money which of course means all holding the national fiat currency are punished.

If you import too much = inflation (USA etc). North Korea also doesn't produce enough food for populace = must depend on imports, but not enough exports to support their imports.

When you are the victim it is all about "suffering" -the penitent must atone and in that process their soul is set free and the cycle complete. Life is struggle and suffering is mandatory.

Even though we don't appreciate their leader we appreciate the populace's suffering. -Gambatte!

You attack Sarg and tell him to grow up while you express such incredible naivety by hoping that NK could possibly mean anything new. Whenever NK say anything it is a lie by token of the fact that they said something. Nothing meaningful has ever been said by NK yet you persist in believing in them. Maybe it is you, my friend, that needs to grow up and see NK for what it is. And yes I am sure Sarg can look out for himself without any help from anybody.

"When you devalue the fiat money to 1/100 of what is was people that saved will have a harsh winter."

This is amazing when you realize that they have no OTHER means to store value. It is a truly decrepit economy. No ownership of anything to speak of...only obligation. No way out. Smith makes the point that people have no choice but to tolerate it or revolt. Sarge makes the point that they have done it to themselves. They are both right. That harsh winter you speak of is the only thing that will save these people. Only if things get bleak enough will they march into the barrel of a gun.

With this revaluation, the only people who do not have to start over are those who own real assets, which is basically the party: Kim Jong Il's accountants.

Sad. I wonder if they have enough seed left to plant their fields, but that is still three months away. I am sure they face worse problems. Their rhetoric is starting to show it.

Give it a week and we we be back to the old days

Many comments reflect blind and fanatical hatred towards North Korea, as well as sheer ignorance regarding socialism. In order to relax a bit, change the atmosphere and see things from a different angle, I recommend on watching the performance of the New York Philharmonic orchestra in Pyongyang,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-OUt3IFlzk

I'd love it if they hold to this. Personally I'd prefer SK and NK to finally become KOREA with the Northern government system dissipating into thin air. Forget the US in this, but maybe it will help them move forward instead of thinking the US is a total boogyman to keep an excuse for a really bad dictatorship.

Since 1913 (Federal Reserve started) the U.S. Dollar is now worth about 99% less = fiat money. Who is stealing all this value?

Looks like Badsey is going for the "Most Use of the Word 'Fiat' in JT History Award." Good luck. We're all counting on you.