Mr Lee goes to Washington

South Korean President Lee Myungbak is in Washington where he has been meeting with US President Barack Hussein Obama. The big topic, of course, is North Korea, and Lee has been pushing for assurances that the Republic of Korea will be under the US's "nuclear umbrella":

That protection has been implicitly in place since the end of the Korean War. But Lee, who has toughened his government's position toward the North since taking office 16 months ago, is seeking an explicit White House guarantee.

Lee makes the request as the North Korean government prepares to face new U.N. sanctions, including the searching of its ships on the high seas, and begins an opaque and politically volatile succession process to replace the reportedly ailing leader Kim Jong Il.

Hmm... with all the economic issues — you may have heard about a global economic crisis — and the free-trade agreement, changes in the status of US troops under Lee's predecessor, etc., etc., it's too bad that this is what they have to focus on. It sucks living next door to the geopolitical equivalent of a toxic waste dump. 

[above: Before their joint press conference, President Obama spent half an hour teaching his hopelessly unhip counterpart "The Sasquatch." Their performance was a big hit with the White House Press Corps.]