US, N. Korea Tentative About Future Relations

December 23, 2011

There are still more questions than answers about what comes next for North Korea, as the communist nation mourns the death of long-time leader Kim Jong Il. One question increasingly on the minds of some analysts: Is the United States missing a chance to make critical inroads with the new regime

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Flags fly at half-staff in North Korea, as North Koreans publicly grieve.

What has been missing so far, any official offer of condolences from the United States. And State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland made clear earlier this week, no such statement will be coming.

"With regard to the 'C word,' I think we didn't consider it appropriate in this case," said Nuland.

The U.S. did issue a statement that Nuland described as a signal of Washington's "expectations and hopes for the new regime."

But is that enough?

Former US Representative for North Korea Stephen Bosworth says maybe, or maybe not.

"North Korea makes decisions on what it’s going to negotiate, or how it’s going to negotiate, what it’s going to give up, in terms of demands, very much based on their own perception of their self-interest," said Bosworth.

The U.S. officially expressed its condolences to North Korea in 1994, when Kim Jong Il's father, Kim Il Sung, died. Bosworth says that may have helped ease tensions for a while.