The North Korean section is a timely addition to areastudies.org I took a look at your website for the first time and there is alot of very interesting information. I might suggest a new section for Korean news. (Don't include KCNA stories though because they are all North Korean propaganda.) Most of the people who frequent the Korean board here at Strategypage believe that the North Korean regime's days are numbererd. Consensus opinion holds that the North has no more than 2 to 5 years left before it implodes and crumbles.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. Currently the site does have a section with links to Korean news sites (http://www.areastudies.org/news.html), but not directly to recent stories. I will look into a “blog” type of section for that – good idea. As far as North Korea, I believe the regime will be around until Kim Jong Il dies – a guesstimate is 5-10 years. There are a few reasons for this. First, he has no credible internal enemies, and the people will all starve to death before rising up. Second, I don’t think the U.S. will attack unless Kim takes overt military action of some type (more serious than the naval battles or a fighter jet trying to screw with one of our planes). The cost to Seoul would be too much (although I think the SK gov. are a bunch of idiots for keeping their capitol city there for five decades...). Third, Kim’s “military first” policy ensures his position and quells threats by officers. So I believe that the chance will appear when Kim dies. I give him 5-10 years do to his diet (or what we know of it), and the fact that he has several known health problems such as diabetes, hypertension, etc., that his father (Kim Il Sung, died at 82) did not have. Kim’s death will be a critical time, since a new leader will likely try to take his place, and it is doubtful that any of his sons will have firm credibility by that time. Some (perhaps not on this site) that there have been predictions of NK failing for years, and that it never happens. I think it is different now because NK has effectively sold off a large amount of its infrastructure (factories) for scrap iron – they simply cannot recover from this point. But we’ll see. If Kim walks the talk that’s been coming from P’yongyang lately, the U.S. might move on them....

Richardson, I really haven't looked at your website yet, but I was wondering if you had any information there on the extent and influence the "religion" of Juche has upon the general North Korean population. In the event of an attack on North Korea by anyone (including the US), will the North Koreans rally behind their "god," Kim Jong Il?