Peter Beck Korea Quotations

Washington is certainly concerned that Seoul's North Korean policy will lean further to the left.

As time goes on, I am expecting, I am waiting for North Korea to act in a provocative manner, to lash out verbally, potentially even with a missile or even a nuclear test. Especially as Washington continues to try to squeeze them, and they are going to look for a way to get the world's attention by saying or doing something that is provocative.

The problem is that Beijing places far greater priority on North Korean stability and regime survival than on the peninsula remaining nuclear-free.

The two parties agreed to disagree and papered over the differences. It will take a long time before North Korea will be accepted as a responsible member of the international community, at least 2 years.

For now, perhaps the only goal all parties can agree on is avoiding a crisis, but more meaningful engagement is needed if, in the long run, North Korea is not to loom as a flash point in Sino-U.S. relations.

I think the visit will ultimately help them bring North Korea back to the table, but I'm not sure Pyongyang is serious about negotiating.

Any American who watches Korea in Washington will watch closely how it will unfold.