LAT: N. Korean Nuclear Issue Simmers on a Back Burner

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NEWS ANALYSIS
N. Korean Nuclear Issue Simmers on a Back Burner
Negotiations slow amid uncertainty before U.S. elections. Pyongyang may exploit the delay.

By Barbara Demick, Times Staff Writer


SEOUL — One might say that this year's North Korean nuclear crisis has been postponed — to be rescheduled at a date more convenient for the political calendar.

Dealing with Pyongyang's headlong pursuit of nuclear weapons, once described as the biggest security threat to the United States, has been downgraded to a droning diplomatic process with little sense of urgency — at least until after the U.S. presidential election....

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The latest delays come on top of months of fits and starts on North Korea as the war in Iraq largely dominated the world's attention. As the standoff over the North's nuclear ambitions drags into its 19th month, Pyongyang is likely to be exploiting delays to perfect its bomb-making technology....

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The brewing North Korea crisis is fast becoming a campaign issue, with Democrats calling it a failure comparable to that in Iraq. Presumptive Democratic nominee John F. Kerry said over the weekend on NBC's "Meet the Press" that his No. 1 priority if elected would be to change the approach to North Korea. He has criticized the administration's insistence on only negotiating with Pyongyang in a multilateral setting and has said he would engage immediately in direct talks if elected president....


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-drift20apr20,1,1824997.story?coll=la-home-headlines