Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent comments comparing North Korea’s missile tests to the behavior of an adolescent seeking attention may have been some what apt, but they have not surprisingly drawn criticism from North Korea. Hitting back, a foreign ministry spokesman from NK commented that Clinton sometimes appeared as a “primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping." They further stated that Clinton is “unaware of elementary etiquette in the international community.” While NK’s comments are a fine example of hypocritical tit for tat foreign relations, they do possess an element of truth.
North Korea has been a thorn in the side of the international community for many years and poses a serious threat to peace and stability in East Asia. Therefore, referring to them as an ‘adolescent’ and inciting an exchange of childish comments does not seem in keeping with approriate international relations ‘etiquette’. Clinton really should be more careful and must treat this issue with the seriousness that it deserves.
Final Score: Clinton 1, North Korea 1.