What About North Korea? (Asia Times, HONG KONG)

Korea remains the forgotten war. Just ask United States President Barack Obama. "For us," he declaimed at his inaugural, Americans "fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sanh".

Korea? The Chosun Reservoir, from which US Marines retreated in bloody defeat in "the coldest winter" of 1950-1951? The Pusan perimeter, which Americans defended against repeated North Korean assaults in the summer of 1950 before driving the invaders out of the south after the Inchon landing? Heartbreak Ridge and Pork Chop Hill - two of the hardest-fought battlegrounds of the Korean War? Forget it.

Clearly, Obama's policy-making and speech-writing crew made a calculated decision. One can imagine the thoughts coursing through the collective brains of the incoming doyens of the White House and National Security Council and their aides and advisers from the think-tanks:

"Nah, don't touch that one - might upset North Korea. Kim Jong-il might see a mention as advance build-up for a pre-emptive strike. Nah, North Korea's too sensitive, might throw off the nuke talks. Nah, we don't want South Korea thinking we're ready to support them with more arms." Or, just as likely, "Nah, nobody cares about Korea."

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