ABSTRACT
As a result of extensive and ongoing diplomatic efforts by the United States, the acuteness of the North Korean nuclear crisis has been alleviated recently. While some problems still remain, the main concern of outside observers today is the internal political situation in the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (DPRK). Kim II Sung's death in July 1994 and the drawn-out process of formalizing the authority of his successor, Kim Jong II, raised questions as to where the regime was moving, what surprises it might present to the outside world, and how long it would survive. Kim Jong II's consolidation of power in August 1998 seems to have answered some of the these questions, but certainly not all of them. Alongside these political issues are serious fears arising from the fact that Pyongyang has not given up the idea of playing the nuclear card yet one more time. No one dares to rule out that option totally, thus underlining the fact that while the Agreed Framework has dulled the edge of the current nuclear crisis, it could become sharp once again depending on developments in North Korea.
