Today, the North Korean military took the surprising step of proposing direct diplomatic talks with the United States, saying it was ready to meet “any place and at any time.” Although North Korea and the United States have held frequent talks since the Korean War ended with a ceasefire in 1953, U.S. officials believe that North Korea’s latest request for talks is intended to go beyond the usual stalemate. Nonetheless, the request came on the tail end of a long statement in which North Korea criticized the United States for sparking tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. This apparent contradiction shows that, even when North Korea wants to be diplomatic, it has trouble ignoring past problems.
Elizabeth I was well acquainted with such contentious diplomacy. She wrote:
“I was expecting a diplomatic mission, but you have brought me a quarrel! By virtue of your testimonials I have received you as an ambassador, but I have found you instead a challenger.”
Hopefully, this new round of talks between North Korea and the United States will prove an exception to the usual diplomatic difficulties and help produce real improvements in relations between the two nations.
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