for critics of the Bush administration's Iraq and North Korea policies to claim that simply because both have (quite accurately) been described as part of an axis of evil, therefore both must be adressed in the exact same manner.

The ultimate goal is the improvement (via removal) of three of the most evil governments on earth, namely those of North Korea, Iraq, and Iran, to alleviate the great suffering and threat they're imposing on their own citizens and those of other countries, and the entire civilized world.

It's completely illogical to assume that this goal will be acheived in the exact same way in each of these three cases. There are 100 reasons why Iraq is different from Iran is different from North Korea.

A very big difference for instance between Korea and Iraq is the prevailing attitude of the people there with respect to armed intervention to bring about a change in government. Many Iraqis would welcome liberation (in fact, ready to take up arms in support of one), while Koreans, North and South, are clearly not as favorable (yet).

It may very well be necessary, ultimately, for the US to lead a devastating military attack to liberate North Korea. But that time has not yet come. It may not come at all.