The communist North called off reunions in response to what it considers South Korean President Lee Myung Bak's hard-line policy.

VOA: standard.2009.08.26

He also visited a cemetery for Chinese soldiers killed in the Korean War, when China supported its Communist allies in North Korea.

VOA: standard.2009.10.05

The US State Department also added three North Korean officials it said had links to the communist country's proliferation activities.

BBC: South Korea warns North on armistice threat

An official South Korean report has accused the communist North of firing a torpedo at the ship, killing 46 sailors.

CNN: North Korea warns it will meet war with 'all-out war'

And while China isn't expected to abandon its communist neighbor, it appears to be reassessing ties a year after new North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took office.

NPR: North Korea Nuke Test Could Test China's Patience