Great Moments in Diplomacy: N. Korea Wants Japan Kicked Out of Six-Party Talks

Something tells me that we haven’t reached a fundamental change in North Korea’s negotiating attitude.

North Korea said Saturday it wants Japan out of six-party disarmament talks, calling officials in Tokyo “political imbeciles” for saying they will not accept Pyongyang as a nuclear power.

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A statement from North Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday said “there is no need for Japan to participate in (the talks) as a local delegate because it is no more than a state of the U.S. and it is enough for Tokyo just to be informed of the results of the talks by Washington.”

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“But it is only Japan that expressed its wicked intention,” the ministry said, referring to comments by Tokyo that it will not accept a nuclear North Korea. “The Japanese authorities have thus clearly proved themselves that they are political imbeciles,” it added. The statement was carried on KCNA.

I suppose this was for domestic and South Korean consumption, but is there any other purpose for braying out this non-starter of an idea?