Let's examine how we got to this point and just to where we should waggle the fickle middle fingers of blame:
1. Two journalists defied common sense (obviously being female was not a plausible excuse to NK) and went where they didn't belong ("No, no, it's ok, we're only 10 feet over the line, what are you gonna do to us, put us on trial?" followed by the inevitable "You can't do this, we're Americans!") where they could gather sufficent material to inflame the world with the problems caused in China with the North Korean refugee problem (the aforementioned 'graveness of their actions') and win the 2010 Pulitzer Prize (obviously gonna be awarded in abstentia). Not that the world really cares because it's been going on since last forever and it really is just a China/DPRK festering pimple with shades of Tibet.
2. This reason hasn't been used in this thread yet and since all the other worldly ills were definitely Dubya's fault it is included by de-fault (no pun intended).
3. Though last listed it is the real reason - Harry S. Truman did not follow Douglas MacArthur's recommendation and nuke 'em all back in 1952 and be shed of all of 'em once and for all. He squandered the opportunity to show the world we would not accept any bullshit from anyone/anytime and thus gave any piss ant world country the eventual opportunity to become nuclear weapon holding saber rattling paper tigers while their populations die at +/- 5K/day from starvation and disease.
Where's all those 'people' people problem solvers when ya' need em - Carver, Clinton (pick one), Jackson, Delta Force ? Oh, ok, Gore's there.
When that shtick is over the new messiah can give DPRK a bunch of bullshit (fuel oil, blankets, some MREs), remove it from any future terrorist lists (again), make another "can't we be friends" speech ..., yawn ...
Oh well, given a good hoe, a big rice paddy or cabbage patch and a big strapping guard at night 12 years will go by in no time.