Outlook for 2008-09: Political outlook.

The article presents North Korea's political outlook for 2008-2009. President Kim Jong-il faces difficulty in implementing economic reforms and the "military first" policy. South Korean companies within the Kaesong industrial zone will employ about 200,000 workers from North Korea. This will reportedly influence their awareness on the prosperity of their neighbors. North Korea's foreign relations is dependent on the closure of the Yongbyon nuclear and disclosure of nuclear activities by December 2007.