North Korea's Olive Branch

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Kim Jong Un, the deceased mighty midget's son, who is now the pudgy leader of North Korea, has decided to follow in his father's footsteps. As his father before him, the rotunda communist leader is offering an olive branch to South Korea for no other reason than what little the communist country to the north can scam off of South Korea with the fake offering of peace.

When your country, as a result of a huge, overbearing governmental system, suffers from an ailing economy, hunger, and is more like a third world country than your counterpart to the south, you are willing to do whatever it takes to try to get everyone to forget your recent testing of a long-range rocket.

Kim offered the olive branch during his first New Year's speech, delivered on state TV.  Though the speech was also filled with calls for boosting the military's capabilities and making the science and technology sector world class, he also acknowledged the poor state of the country's economy that has long lagged behind the rest of the region - in addition to the massive hunger.

The annual New Year's Day message lays out North Korea's policy goals for the year.

He called for more military technology, and more communism, calling the recent rocket launch a big step in peaceful space exploration while the rest of the world knows it was an attempt to test a delivery system for their nuclear warheads.

Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, avoided making public speeches. He never gave a TV address during his 17-year-rule, and his New Year's messages were published as joint editorials in the nation's three major newspapers.

Regarding South Korea, Kim Jong Un recognizes he is going to need Seoul's encouragement, and sooner is better than later.  However, he said it's up to South Korea "to unclench its fist first, so that the leader of the weaker state can outstretch his hand."

I wouldn't hold my breath.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

North Korea's Kim Jon Un speaks of economy, peace with South in rare address - Fox News