Northern Instability
Former top U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill said that North Korea is expected to collapse soon.
“North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s consistent pursuit of nuclear weapons will make it become more and more isolated,” he told a forum on Wednesday, adding “It will be difficult for relevant parties to conduct talks with Pyongyang on the North's nuclear program.”
He was concerned that Pyongyang's missile program is posing a threat to not only Northeast Asia but also beyond the region. He is convinced that North Korea is adrift right now, with fewer and fewer friends due to the development of its nuclear weapons.
Today South Korean military officials said that they are closely monitoring the North for any additional provocations after detecting a sign that the North deployed two missile vehicles from their station a few days ago. North Korea fired two short-range missiles into the East Sea yesterday in an apparent protest against joint ROK-U.S. drills.
On the other hand, South Korean government will hold a round table meeting this week with the heads of the companies that are operating in the Kaesong Industrial Complex to discuss a plan to handle North Korea's unilateral decision to raise the wages of its workers there.
Last week, the North announced that it would raise the minimum wage of Kaesong Industrial Complex workers by 5.18 percent to US$74 a month starting in March. The South Korean Ministry of Unification said that it could not accept a decision made without mutual consultation. North Korea has not yet responded to the South's offer to hold a meeting about the complex on Mar. 13.