31.   Since he was elected two years ago, Chen has struggled to improve ties with the giant communist neighbor.

32.   South Korea has offered rice aid to its economically troubled communist neighbor and asked for governmental contacts to discuss the issue.

33.   South Korean officials are worried that they would lose key leverage in dealing with their northern communist neighbor if Japanese food aid is sent to the North first.

34.   South Korea announced Monday that if North Korea embraces a new peace proposal, it will provide its impoverished communist neighbor with free rice in emergency food aid.

35.   South Korea fears that a looming famine might trigger a mass exodus of refugees from its reclusive communist neighbor.

36.   The governing parties of Japan and its Communist neighbor North Korea agreed Thursday their nations should resume long-suspended talks aimed at normalizing relations after decades of animosity.

37.   The official noted that the administration indicated to Cuba earlier that it did see the communist neighbor as a potential partner in the anti-terrorism struggle.

38.   The spokesman said that despite security concerns on the peninsula, South Korea has no plans to alter its engagement policy with its northern communist neighbor.

39.   The resumption of official contact could be a diplomatic success for Seoul, which has been trying to increase contacts with its isolated communist neighbor.

40.   The two communist neighbors periodically launch mutual recriminations of violating waters around the Spratlys or the contested Paracel islands to the north.