by Scott Ott
(2005-04-07) -- Diplomats from North Korea today announced they would return to six-nation talks over nuclear weapons in the wake of U.S. Secretary State Condaleezza Rice's apology for referring to their nation as an "outpost of tyranny." North Korea had boycotted the talks after the offensive remark.
"I should not have referred to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as an 'outpost' of tyranny," said Secretary Rice, in an unusal moment of contrition for a Bush-appointee. "Tyranny, of course, implies that North Korea is a place where a single ruler is vested with absolute power, with little regard for the condition of his people."
She said her previous remarks suggested that, "President Kim Jong-Il steers the ship of state toward the harbor of self-aggrandizement and personal pleasure -- starving his crew to buy weapons and to maintain his cult of personality."
"Some have interpreted my statement to mean that Kim Jong-Il has never faced political opposition in free and fair elections, that he crushes dissent and forbids emigration and that his regime couldn't spell the word 'liberty' if you gave them the first seven letters," she said. "I mispoke. As you know, an 'outpost' is an outlying settlement, away from the main fortress. I'm sorry for implying that North Korea is a mere 'outpost' of tyranny."
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