North Korea had agreed to halt its nuclear program in return for aid from the U.S., South Korea, Japan, Russia and China, but it restarted its main nuclear facility last week.

Richard Wood, President of the Japan Society, speaks with Martin Savidge about the tense history of Japan-North Korea relations and Japan’s fear of a nuclear North Korea. North Korea has fired test missiles over Japan in the past.

Donald Kirk of The Christian Science Monitor discusses the forthcoming talks between South Korea and North Korea and South Koreans’ optimism surrounding U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill’s arrival in North Korea.

Richard Wood of the Japan Society and Donald Kirk of The Christian Science Monitor discuss relations with North Korea in the region. /files/2008/10/th_intvkorea_wood.jpg /files/2008/10/th_intvkorea_wood.jpg ]]> http://worldfocus.org/blog/2008/10/01/north-koreas-neighbors-hope-to-salvage-talks/1550/feed/ http://worldfocus.org/blog/2008/09/24/south-korea-responds-to-its-nuclear-neighbor/1400/ http://worldfocus.org/blog/2008/09/24/south-korea-responds-to-its-nuclear-neighbor/1400/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:38:57 +0000 Worldfocus http://worldfocus.org/?p=1400 North Korea has confirmed plans to restart its main nuclear facility in Yongbyon, which some analysts perceive as an attempt to obtain concessions from the United States and other nations and expedite North Korea’s removal from the state-sponsored terrorism list.

Donald Kirk of The Christian Science Monitor speaks with Martin Savidge about North Korea’s motivations given the upcoming U.S. elections. Kirk discusses South Korea’s response to its neighbor’s nuclear invigoration and relations between the two countries.

Worldfocus’s previous interview with Kirk on the matter can be found here.

Leon Sigal, an expert on North Korea and nuclear disarmament issues, estimates that North Korea has about half a dozen nuclear weapons that might pose a threat to nearby countries and could effectively begin producing nuclear weapons within three months.

Worldfocus’s previous interview with Sigal on the matter can be found here.