NK: Food, Trust, Pressure

ARTICLE:  U.S. To Send Food To N. Korea Under New Deal (Financial Times)…Demetri Sevastopulo, May 13, 2008

The US has agreed to give North Korea 500,000 tonnes of food aid under a new deal that would allow monitors unprecedented access to oversee distribution in the Stalinist state.

The food aid deal comes as the US holds separate negotiations with Pyongyang towards completing the second phase of the six-party talks aimed at denuclearising the Korean peninsula. Officials rejected suggestions that there was any link between the issues.

The US official said North Korea had agreed to the more intrusive inspection regime because there was a higher level of trust between the governments because of the six-party talks. He added that North Korea was also feeling pressure because of the global food crisis, and the fact that South Korea and China had curtailed aid. A second official said the food deal had been closely coordinated with the South Korean government.

Almost need a scoreboard. Does NK win if they get more than they give up?