North Korean brinkmanship likely

SEOUL, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A South Korean think tank says North Korea may increase military threats to win more concessions from the new U.S. administration but won't succeed.

A report from the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security said U.S. President-elect Barack Obama may be willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il to resolve Pyongyang's denuclearization issue.

However, it said Obama's engagement policy may turn tougher if there is no progress, Yonhap news agency quoted the report as saying.

The report said North Korea, facing rising challenges from the instability of its regime and rumors of Kim's ill health, "may threaten to suspend its denuclearization process, boycott the six-party talks and fire missiles or a nuclear weapon and may even take such actions so as to tame the new Obama administration or increase its leverage in the nuclear negotiations."

However, it said the new U.S. administration's North Korea policy "may appear flexible on the surface, but in substance, it will be meticulous and hard-grained."

The six-nation talks on North Korea's denuclearization have stalled over the issue of verification of the disclosures provided by Pyongyang about its nuclear program. The countries include the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South and North Korea.