Parsing statistics and data from 2014 in North Korea, the South Korean government cited the top three critical issues besetting the nation are diplomatic isolation, the economy, and dismal human rights conditions.

¡°In the past, the nuclear issue was the main focal point, but now we need to respond to the other problems persisting in North Korea,¡± a top South Korean official stated on December 30th, going on to discuss the economic difficulties facing the nation.

A change of pace from the past, he followed by broaching the topic of human rights conditions in North Korea. ¡°North Korean human rights are a serious issue. 111 UN member states voting to pass the draft resolution on human rights conditions in North Korea is a significant figure and dealt a huge shock to the country," he said.

He went on to draw parallels between current North Korea and two periods from its history, maintaining that North Korea continues to fret over the how to survive in every evolving world of international relations--particularly when it concerns its allies-- much like it did during the detente between China and the United States during the 1970s and the end of the Cold War in the 1990s. 

¡°North Korea employed strategic maneuvers during the 1970s and 1990s,¡± he explained, going on to enumerate the examples indicative of the North¡¯s tactical survival plans. ¡°The 1970s saw the ¡®7.4 Joint Statement¡¯ between the two Koreas, and then in the 1990s, the Iron Curtain lifted and the Cold War came to an end, leaving North Korea reeling and anxious about its fate."

He asserted that North Korea stands to lose the most by continually returning to oft-employed provocative tactics, and urged it to ¡°move in a direction that fosters peace on the Korean Peninsula.¡± Plagued by these three debilitating factors, he asserted that aggravating relations will serve only to exacerbate situation rather than offer any chance of ameliorating it. 

The official also addressed matters related to the Unification Preparatory Committee¡¯s proposal to hold inter-Korean talks in January, saying that he looks forward to a positive response from the North, and that hope for the event to be realized should not be dismissed solely based on recent derogatory marks made by the North regarding the committee. 

¡°The New Year¡¯s Address from North Korea was interpreted as very positive in 2010, so President Lee Myung Bak spoke of the possibility of inter-Korean talks by the end of the year during an interview with the BBC,¡± he pointed out. ¡°However, the same year saw the sinking of the Cheonan and the Yeonpyeong Island attack, followed by a nuclear test in 2012.¡±

¡°When it comes to inter-Korean relations, actions speak louder than words,¡± he concluded.