IU Angles

There is a little more hope for success in these talks than before because of the undertakings of the South Korean government to help the North Korean government deal with its energy supply problems. The Bush administration has not devoted enough of its time and energy to these talks, which is why Roh Moo-hyun said that the U.S. "has the final key." Hopefully, this will change now that the North Koreans have decided to return to the bargaining table. Jeffrey Hart
Political science professor If forced to choose between the talks moving forward or failing, I would opt for something in between -- namely intermittently continuing talks. One of the problems is that the U.S., feeling it has been had in earlier negotiations, wants North Korea to give up its primary bargaining chip before receiving any side payments for doing so. Other actors in the six Power talks, such as both Koreas, would prefer the side payments begin before North Korea loses its bargaining position. North Korea, of course, will be most reluctant to give up the main thing, its claim to possessing nuclear weapons, that attracts attention from the outside. China will seek to protect its North Korean client to some extent. As long as most of the six Powers disagree about how to proceed, a conclusive outcome seems unlikely. WR Thompson
Political science professor