Obama in Korea: A Trip to the DMZ

By Meredith Olsen

President Obama is in South Korea for the international nuclear security summit meeting and while in town, he stopped by the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. Reports state that Obama told North Korea sending a satellite into space would be a bad idea, and he means it. It seems North Korea still isn't backing down. And now Obama is turning his attention towards China, asking why they aren't stepping in: 

In the same way that North Korea needs to do something new if it wants to do right by its people,” Mr. Obama said, the Chinese must recognize that “the approach they’ve taken over the last several decades hasn’t led to a fundamental shift in North Korea’s behavior. 

The two-day summit starts today. 

North Korea Agrees to Suspend Nuclear Activity

By Meredith Olsen

Talks between the United States and North Korea have proven beneficial: North Korea has agreed to suspend its nuclear activity. According to an article out today by the New York Times, in exchange for minimal nuclear activity, the United States will send food aid. Problems in the past however have shown that food received has been used to feed the military rather than the starving people of North Korea. This time, however, the U.S. will be sending "high-protein biscuits, infant formula and other nutritional supplements." There will also be monitoring to make sure the food is actually being distributed to those in need. While U.S. officials believe this is just one small step in the right direction, there is still some hesitation. It's interesting to see the new leader, Kim Jong-un realize his people are in need, but the true reasons for suspending the nuclear work aren't clear. It seems to be a lot of walking on pins and needles when looking at North Korea and U.S. relations.