10 questions that North Korea must answer.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri)

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had a brief "15-minute chat" with North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun on July 31 in Brunei, where foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their counterparts from other Asia-Pacific countries met for ASEAN Regional Forum meetings. The Powell-Paek meeting is the highest- level exchange between the United States and North Korea since then U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Pyongyang in late 2000.

North Korea has since stated that it would welcome the resumption of dialogue with both the United States and Japan. Since the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush has said on a number of occasions that it would be willing to talk to the North Koreans "at any time and any place," perhaps the Powell-Paek chat over coffee will be the start of a new round of serious discussions with Pyongyang.

In anticipation of a possible future meeting, there are 10 issues that Powell and Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi need to raise with North Korea. …