ASIA TRIP

Clinton Warns North Korea

Bluntly says power struggle is scuttling negotiations.

During her first travel overseas, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out in Seoul yesterday about a possible succession in North Korea, and the fears that, should leader Kim Jong Il die, the transfer of power would create "even more uncertainty." Clinton was unusually frank, saying a succession could "encourage behaviors that are even more provocative as a way to consolidate power within the society." Before departing to Seoul, Clinton traversed Indonesia, spoke with the nation's president, appeared on a television show whose title translates to "Awesome," and sought to reboot America's image abroad saying that "There is a hunger for the United States to be present again."