What is most interesting is this aside:
South Korea continues to plan for the collapse of the communist government in the north (and negotiate with China over who will take over, and how)[.]
Who will take over? Does this mean what North Korean faction takes over after the Kim dynasty? Or who takes over the territory after the entire country collapses? There is a big difference, as I remind readers in this recent post.
North Korea has been sliding toward collapse of one sort or another for some time now. Which is why I've always been in favor of talking to the North Koreans without making real concessions, to buy time for them to die before they get usable nuclear weapons.
