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A North Korean TV announcer reports a statement from the North's foreign ministry on the resolution of the U.N. Security Council. Yonhap News
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Continued hard-line stance predicted for North
North Korea leveled criticism at the U.N. Security Council immediately after its vote to adopt a resolution against the country on July 15, with its ambassador to the U.N., Pak Gil-yon, saying that "only terrorist organizations commit such behavior." Regarding what North Korea would do next, most experts predicted that the communist nation would maintain its hard-line stance. Professor Kim Yeon-cheol of Korea University said, "As it repeatedly has done in previous games of ’chicken,’ the North will continue to act in counter to U.S. policies." In a game of ’chicken,’ two players drive their cars directly toward each other at high speeds, and the player who changes his course shortly before the crash loses and is called the "chicken." Or, as long as the U.S. does not make concessions, North Korea will not yield its stubborn position. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il refusing to meet Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Hui Liangyu and Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei would fit into this type of behavior. The two Chinese diplomats visited Pyongyang July 10-15 as leaders of a Chinese delegation to mark the 45th anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty between the two nations. Despite Chinese President Hu Jintao’s efforts to persuade Kim to talk to the diplomats, he would not change his mind.Given such positioning by the North, experts say, if Washington does not ease its stance, it will be almost impossible to persuade Pyongyang to come back to the six-party talks. The North reportedly plans to hold a meeting of heads of its overseas embassies, five years after their last meeting in July 2001. A information source said, "The reason of convening of the meeting is not clear, but it may be part of efforts to prepare countermeasures in connection with the recent situations." The security council in its resolution urged the North to exercise self-control and refrain from doing anything which could heighten tensions. Analysts noted, however, North Korea could take additional measures to worsen the crisis, such as launching more Taepodong-2 long-range ballistic missiles, in order to seek a solution. Lee Chang-ju, head of the research group Korean Global Foundation (KGF), who met Ambassador Pak in New York on July 7, quoted Pak as saying that "the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is prepared to conduct stage-2 [missile] tests," making it appear that more provocative moves in the near future were indeed being considered by the North. A statement issued by the North immediately after the U.N. vote stated that the country would engage in "stronger physical action of a different type," indicating another ’card’ to be played, perhaps nuclear tests.
