As the United States and South Korea prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, the leaders of North and South Korea are scheduled to hold the first summit meeting between the two countries. The June 12-14 meeting in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang will bring together South Korean President Kim Dae Jung and North Korea's Kim Jong Il. Most experts forecast modest agreements -- at most -- on family reunification and economic ties. But some say the meeting could begin a process of reducing tension and perhaps even move the two countries a step closer to reunification. Meanwhile, U.S. economic sanctions remain in place against North Korea. And some observers continue to see the isolationist North as a military threat to the region.

Kenneth Jost is Supreme Court editor, CQ Press; associate editor, CQ Researcher; and author of The Supreme Court Yearbook since the 1992-1993 edition.