83/751. At press time, 83 days have passed since North Korea tested a nuclear device on October 9, 2006 and 751 days remain in the Bush Presidency. If the stalemate at the latest round of Six Party Talks is any indication, the North Koreans may be counting.

On December 18, the Six Party Talks resumed in Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, breaking on December 22. Meeting for the first time in the Six Party format since November 2005, the parties reported no progress, with the U.S. side describing the North Koreans as unprepared to negotiate and the North Koreans characterizing U.S. demands as excessive. The Talks may resume in January 2007 in Beijing, though no date has been announced. Bilateral discussions between U.S. Treasury officials and North Korean financial experts may be held on a separate track in New York in mid-January 2007.