ARTICLE: N. Korea Apparently Loosening Strategy, By Blaine Harden, Washington Post, August 18, 2009

Again, the DPRK does this drill regularly, especially with a new administration: go crazy belligerent, snatch some bodies, and so on, and then make a few meaningless concessions once your opponents dangle rewards, eat your treats, and then rinse and repeat--always scoring two steps to their own.