The U.S. and North Korea reopen nuclear talks Thursday that will provide a glimpse into where Pyongyang's opaque government is heading after Kim Jong-il's death and test its readiness to dismantle nuclear programs for much-needed aid.
"But we can't immediately link North Korea's stability to how fruitful the talks will be,"
"The fact that North Korea has come to the negotiating table means the country is enjoying a level of internal stability," said Kim Keun-sik, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University in South Korea.
