After A Chill, Signs Of A Warming Trend In Koreas

A thaw seems to be emerging between the two Koreas, just six months after Seoul blamed Pyongyang for sinking a South Korean warship. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak came to power in 2008 talking tough about North Korea, but now he appears to be taking a softer line.

Amid widespread discontent, South Korea is struggling to find the right course of action to deal with its dangerous neighbor.

“Korea's 9/11” is how people describe the sinking of the South Korean warship, the Cheonan, in March. As family members grieved, the nation shared its shock at the deaths of 46 sailors. A North Korean torpedo was blamed for the attack, which cut the vessel in two, though Pyongyang denied it was responsible.

In retaliation, South Korea froze an inter-Korean maritime agreement and cut off economic aid. It also demanded an apology before six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear disarmament could be restarted.

barak obama hillary clinton george w bush nancy pelosi harry reid