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The article states that North Korea's dictatorship shows little sign of collapsing. Ever since communism collapsed around the world, the natural expectation seemed to be that North Korea's regime would follow shortly. So far the natural expectation has proved wrong. The Great Leader Kim Jong Il, seems to be consolidating his grip on power, although his reluctance to appear in public suggests that the grip is not yet complete. The economy has been helped this year by infusions of foreign aid delivered in ex- change for North Korea's promise to halt its production of plutonium from which nuclear bombs can be made. The argument goes that if North Korea opens up to foreign investment and trade, the spreading knowledge of foreigners' affluence will provoke revolt; but if North Korea does not open up, economic seizure will bring revolt Communism may be dead, but nationalist emotion is alive and well.

The author offers opinions on politics, government and foreign relations in Northeast Asia. Noting that the election of Shinzo Abe as Prime Minister of Japan means that the leaders of that country, North Korea, South Korea and China all have fathers or grandfathers who were influential public officers, the author states that these family backgrounds could result in strong opposition to Abe's nationalistic foreign policy from the other three countries.