By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter

The United States is in a deep economic downturn and U.S. President-elect Barack Obama made it clear that rescuing the economy and creating jobs is his number-one priority. That could mean a host of other domestic and foreign issues getting less time and attention from the Obama administration. It also could mean less emphasis on the North Korean nuclear issue, at least for the time being.

On President-elect Obama's official Web site, www.change.gov, there is a part that describes his upcoming agenda for after he takes office in January. It describes several domestic and foreign policy plans but no mention of North Korea.

``President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden have developed innovative approaches to challenge the status quo in Washington and to bring about the kind of change America needs," the Web site says.

The Obama administration, it says, has a comprehensive and detailed agenda to carry out its policies. ``The principal priorities of the Obama Administration include: a plan to revive the economy, to fix our health care, education, and social security systems, to define a clear path to energy independence."

On the foreign policy front, it lists plans to ``end the war in Iraq responsibly and finish our mission in Afghanistan, and to work with our allies to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, among many other domestic and foreign policy objectives."

In Washington this month, a former point man on North Korea also predicted it will take some time before the Obama administration can start dealing with Pyongyang's nuclear issue in earnest.

Former U.S. point man on North Korea Jack Pritchard told reporters the next administration will first focus on pressing economic problems before turning its attention to the North Korean nuclear issue.

Pritchard was ambassador and special envoy for negotiations with North Korea and the U.S. representative to the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization for the George W. Bush administration between 2001 and 2003.

Pritchard also said the post of U.S. assistant state secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs will not be filled for at least three months after Obama takes office.
He said that position is in charge of dealing with issues affecting the Korean Peninsula. That might mean there will be no major U.S. initiatives on the Stalinist country for the next five to six months.

The former diplomat also said there is a ``slight chance" the Obama administration would dispatch a special envoy to Pyongyang in the months following the inauguration.

michaelha@koreatimes.co.kr