As I mentioned initially, I do believe that Canada has to know for itself what is happening on the ground in North Korea, and you can't do that by reading intelligence reports by somebody else, or listening to what others have to say. I really do believe that you have to be on the ground. After seven or eight years of so-called engagement—which was zero engagement except for one consular case—one has to re-establish credibility and expertise on North Korea. That is the starting point.
It may be a modest impact, but one has to engage regularly at a high level in Pyongyang to say, “Hey, we're here. We have certain concerns that we will raise with you consistently, and we will go from there, whether it's nuclear proliferation, human rights, or regional security, and so on.”
Truly, you can only speak with authority on a difficult and dangerous situation like that happening in North Korea if you have actually been there. From my own experience, when I did travel to Pyongyang, countries like the United States, South Korea, and Japan were always interested in what I had to say about what was happening in North Korea, and perhaps I was able to bring a measured and, one hopes, a sensible perspective to the table. Believe me; they were ready to listen. Certainly, with so much unpredictability, we have to plan and be engaged to do so.