Re: Response to Mary Anne
"N. Korea, again on the other hand, has a tremendous economic interest in the United States. If my facts aren't outdated, N. Korea and the U.S. exchanged right around $100-billion worth of goods each year. "
You must be referring to S Korea.
N Korea is extremely poor and having serious problems with merely feeding their people- they make most of their money by illegally selling arms. Of course, what money they make doesn't get to the peasants of this repressive socialist country.