NK on the World Stage

It isn't as if North Korea's position on the world stage has ever been all that tenable, but it seems that things are slipping swiftly into unchartered and ever more menacing realms. For instance, that a nation's big international relations news is progress on negotiations with Burma for the strengthening of ties. Birds of a feather?

Similarly, it isn't always the best move to get caught with Iranian envoys who are in the nuclear weapon hotseat. It seems that N. Korea has gotten it down and nailed both wrong place and wrong time. NK has a history of selling this stuff and the US will likely not respond favorably if NK decides selling nuclear technology to Iran is a good idea:

The United States is also mounting a diplomatic offensive to get the message across, through China and South Korea, that a transfer of plutonium would cross a political red line.

And in the Alliance, things are still very twilight zone-esque as Japan confirms that they won't be sending aid into the North whereas Kim Dae Jung will be sending himself...only God knows why. Ok, that was cynical of me, but it is just like Governor Richardson going to NK because he thinks he can do what the world governments can't. Because being in New Mexico puts you on the pulse of NK issues.

Between the growing pressure from the six-party talks nations to stop committing international crimes and the potential for further political conflict from NK involvement in the growing tension over Iran's nuclear program, the possibility for volatility is rather high in my estimation.