Stephen Bosworth, Formerly Ambassador to S. Korea, to Be New Asia Assistant Secretary N. Korea Special Envoy

One of the legitimate complaints about Bush’s Korea policy that Democrats actually made was that one man cannot simultaneously be an Assistant Secretary for all of East Asia and a de facto special envoy to North Korea. The Special Envoy post looks to be going to Kurt Campbell, and now, it looks like the East Asia A/S post will go to former U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Stephen Bosworth, who was in Pyongyang recently displaying his prowess at forcing the North Koreans to refrain from international extortion.

Steel yourself for some distressing diplomatic comedy.

Update: Or, maybe it’s the other way around. The Chosun Ilbo piece linked above says Bosworth will be the new Asia A/S, but this CNN report says Bosworth will take the Special Envoy job, which may or may not mean that Campbell will be A/S. What? The Chosun Ilbo wrong? Say it aint so! The reader who forwarded the CNN link thinks it’s actually correct, and he’s in a position to know. And so, by the way, is Daniel Drezner, who reports that the Special Envoy post will be part-time.

Thank God for small favors.

For a man with such an impressive acadmic background, Bosworth certainly seems to be a slow learner:

Nevertheless, Bosworth, who declined a request for an interview, appears to believe that by reengaging North Korea the United States can reach a better agreement. He wrote in Newsweek magazine last year that North Korea wants “more than anything” a friendly relationship with the United States. [Boston Globe]

I could excuse him for believing that … if he’s been serving on a sequestered jury for the last 20 years. Thanks again to the reader who forwarded this information.