The last year or so was the time when the North Korean diplomacy produced outbursts of activity in the areas it has seldom dealt with recently, but remained remarkably passive in dealing with its usual targets – South Korea, China and U.S. Atypically, North Korea is doing little to attract foreign aid, and tends to ignore approaches from the foreign powers, remaining is isolation.

To start with, it is clear the North Korean government has no intention of negotiating with Seoul. This is what the North Koreans have repeated recently a number of times. Admittedly, Pyongyang is not known for