North Korea

North Korean ships made their first call on South Korean ports for 21 years in May. The historic visit followed bilateral talks between the two Koreas at which the South agreed to provide 200,000 tonnes of fertiliser to counter the chronic food shortage in the North. South Korea hopes that the aid will entice its northern neighbour back to the stalled six-party talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear arms programme. But Pyongyang appears reluctant to discuss its nuclear weapons stockpile, and Seoul may delay deciding on a further request for another 300,000 tonnes to put additional pressure on the intransigent

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