North Korea's Preconditions for Talks

North Korea's release of its preconditions for talks on defusing tensions on the peninsula is perhaps the best indication yet of the manufactured nature of the latest Korean crisis. Released April 18, the demands are that the United States and South Korea cease all provocations and apologize for them; that they pledge not to hold nuclear war exercises that threaten Pyongyang; and that all weapons systems that could be used to carry or deliver nuclear weapons are withdrawn from South Korea.

Over the past few weeks, official and unofficial comments from the United States, South Korea, China and North Korea have indicated that all sides are beginning the process of negotiating the start of formal talks. Each side is presenting its most extreme demands for the restart of talks, a basic negotiating strategy. But by presenting its demands, each side is also reinforcing the idea that it is willing and interested in negotiations.