The food shortages in North Korea that were evident in 1995 worsened in 1996. In some areas of the country they approached famine proportions, with frequent reports of peasants being reduced to eating bark off of trees. With no credit to buy food on the open market, North Korea was dependent on charity.

Yet North Korea did not behave like a supplicant. Instead, the year was marked by some of the most bellicose provocations experienced on the Korean peninsula for years. In April several hundred North Korean soldiers entered the demilitarized zone and unloaded their mortars, recoilless rifles, and machine guns on their side of the joint security area--all in flagrant violation of the 43-year-old armistice agreement that forbids any but side arms in the DMZ. They repeated the demonstration during the following two days. The most likely explanation was that it represented an escalation of North Korea's campaign to dismantle the armistice machinery and replace it with a separate peace treaty with the parties to the 1950-53 Korean War.

Then in September came another curious event. A small North Korean submarine ran aground off South Korea's northeastern coastline. It was reportedly carrying about two dozen commandos, most of whom were killed, either by their comrades or by South Korean troops during a massive manhunt. North Korea said that the sub had strayed off course because of engine trouble, but the South Korean Defense Ministry, relying on the interrogation of one captured commando, said that it had been on a reconnaissance mission. Late in December North Korea expressed "deep regret" for the episode.