N. Korea keeps mum on U.S. election results

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- Barack Obama's landslide victory in the U.S.
presidential election has brought a deluge of congratulatory messages from around
the world on Wednesday, but not from North Korea.
The communist nation's media remained silent, hours after the president-elect
delivered a televised victory speech, while carrying routine attacks against U.S.
military moves. The North's state news agency relayed the powerful Rodong
Sinmun's commentary disparaging the U.S. deployment of refueling tanker and
high-altitude reconnaissance planes in Guam.
Obama's election might be welcome news for North Korea, which views defeated
candidate John McCain as a "variant of Bush."
Obama said earlier he was willing to meet leaders of the so-called rogue states
including North Korea, Iran, and Cuba, after sufficient preparations.
North Korea watchers, however, expect Pyongyang to take a wait-and-see stance for
the time being before issuing an official response to the transition in
Washington.
When George W. Bush was elected in 2000 to end the Clinton administration's rule,
North Korea did not provide direct comments for nearly three months. It opened
verbal attacks only after Bush took office and took on a tougher line against
Pyongyang.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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