[AmericanInTokyo]

DPRK has cancelled all trips by S. Koreans (and others) to Mt. Kumgang by ship and by land route. Further, they have all but stopped issuing visas to Pyongyang through air routes (in fear of SARS). They are double and triple checking the trains and train stations. They rove on trains with medical equipment performing temperature checks at will. They blast on official TV that the nation is mobilizing for SARS (with the clear impression that the outside world is 'dangerous') with the intent of controlling travel of people out of North Korea. DPRK leadership has also concluded that betrayal of Saddam by his inner circle allowed for precision bombing of his locations; there is a top to bottom inspection and stepped up surveillance of the Party to be sure that Kim is not undercut by disloyal units in the same manner. Internally, my view is that they believe they will be attacked or otherwise somehow undermined before CY2003 is over.

DPRK, IMHO, seem to be closing in on themselves due to fear. My thought: the SARS thing is just an excuse to tighten the xenophobic Stalinist noose...and if they can get propaganda traction out of it that "Juche keeps our Republic clean", they will milk it for every drop.

In about three weeks I will be in the JSA area at Panmunjom. I also believe there may be an opportunity to meet interesting people in Tokyo and if anything newsworthy comes of it, I'll post a FReeport and 'ping' you and others.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #8

Kim Jong-Il's paranoia will work against him. It will further weaken the effetive functioning of his regime, just as in the case of Saddam Hussein. Many elites will really lose hope, and live in abject fear. And still it won't be completely safe for Kim Jong-Il and his loyalists.

N. Korean regime will screw itself before America gets into any serious visible action. PsyOp has already started. It worked in Iraq. It would work in N. Korea, too.